Blind Truth
by Unices
Summary: Sequel to Cursed Love. Hoshiryu lost his sister when he was young. He won't give up in finding her. Koshaoto never knew her real family, and now these two will meet at the Chunin exams. And what's this? The Kyubbi and Shukaku are sick? Please read CL Firs
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

The Sounds alliance

Three years after the kidnapping

After Tsunade's retirement the new Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki, is meeting with the sound village's leader Kin.

"I hope that you understand that the kidnapping of the Nara children was not my idea and that we are sorry for Lord Kabuto doing such a thing."

"Kin I understand, but for you to be coming here to request an alliance is very suspicious. Tsunade would not allow this to happen so unless what you are offering in exchange is valuable then you will see that I will react with the same attitude as Tsunade," said Naruto.

"From looking through records I have found several maps of akatski bases. You are searching for the Akatski along with the sand aren't you?" Kin said pulling a scroll from her pocket.

"We are."

"Then I think you would consider this valuable information would you not?" she asked with a smirk.

"Is there anything else then maps?"

"Much more. Including information on several of the people. But that was when Orochimaru was a part of it."

"That is still valuable information. I will make an alliance with you, but should one of your shinobi do anything that harms this village be prepared to pay for the consequences, or risk war."

"I understand Naruto."

Over at the Nara household………

"So he is going to make an alliance with the sound?" Temari asked her husband.

"Yea, though the thought of it makes me cringe," said Shikamaru. "I mean the previous leader kidnapped Kaida and Hoshiryu. And this person who is now leader is Kin, who was carrying Kaida away from the fight."

"No fair Hoshiryu!" cried a young voice. "You got a head start and I can't see where I'm going."

"Well can't you just 'feel' where you are going," said a boy with red hair who just ran into the room.

"You make me so mad! Shadow possession jutso!" the voice cried again.

"Hey! No fair! Mom, Dad Kaida is using shadow possession on me again!" The boy said.

"He raced me!" cried the voice who is now known as Kaida.

"Kaida release your brother! Hoshiryu you know not to race your sister!" said Temari.

Kaida comes around the corner. Her black hair done up in four ponytails like her mom and her black eyes unseeing and her feet bare of even socks. "Mom can we open our presents now?"

"Why don't we wait a little longer," Temari said as the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," said Shikamaru who looked slightly amused.

"Mom guess what!" said Hoshiryu, "I can throw a kunai 5 feet and still hit my mark now!"

"So what! You can still only use shadow possession 3 feet away and I can use it around corners and-" Kaida said.

"Kaida be nice, Hoshiryu that's excellent. Who knew that getting into weapons would be a good thing for you. And Kaida it's good that you are gaining more control of your shadow, despite you not being able to see it."

"Hey mom can you tell us a ninja story?" asked Kaida reaching her hands out and grabbing hold of air till she found her mother's hand.

"What kind of story?"

"Tell us about when you and Dad fought in the chunin exams!" said Hoshiryu.

"Yes! Tell us that one!"

"Alright. It was Kankuro's battle, but since he had added some things on to crow he did not want to show the leaf ninja's how he had changed it. So he forfeited the battle against Shino. That meant that it was now time for my battle. So I opened my fan and flew down to the ground. Now your father didn't want to fight me-"

"Why?" asked Hoshiryu.

"Because back then he believed that fighting women was troublesome. He still believes it." 

"Then why did he enter the arena?"

"Temari are you telling them about the chunin battle?"

"They were curious, and it is a funny story."

"Well, why don't I tell you but first we have guests." Gaara and Kankuro walked into the room.

"Uncle Gaara! Uncle Kankuro!" the kids cried running to their uncles. Hoshiryu was holding Kaida's hand and half pulling half guiding her to their uncles.

"What'd you bring us from Suna," asked Hoshiryu.

"Hoshiryu that's not polite to ask them before they had even gotten settled," Kaida snapped at her brother.

"Actually Kaida it's okay, it's your birthday right?" asked Kankuro.

"That still doesn't make it right, but it is. What did you bring us?" asked Kaida.

"Well, I don't know what Gaara brought you but these should be good right?" Kankuro reaches into the travel bag that he'd been carrying with supplies and took out two puppets. They both had cloth between their limbs and extra cloth stored in the body. One had no eyes and was bigger than the other, the other was able to fire senbons.

"Puppets!" yelled Hoshiryu as Kankuro handed him the one that fired senbons.

"I can't see them. How could I use one," said Kaida on the verge of tears.

"Let me teach you," said Kankuro. He took her hand and set her fingers in the notches that were on the puppets body. "Make chakra strings follow the holes Kaida."

Soon both twins were controlling there puppets. Kaida was making her puppet dance in the air and Hoshiryu was, well fire senbons at random places. Till he broke a vase and Temari said that he was to not practice the senbon shooter in the house.

Gaara gave Hoshiryu his own kunai collection, but Kaida's present was way different. It was a walking stick.

"I carved two symbols on the front. Can you tell me what they are?" Gaara asked her.

Kaida ran her hands across it, "Leaf."

"Yes, what else?"

"Sand village?"

"Yes. You might be a ninja for Konoha, but your roots lie in both Suna and in Konoha. Don't you forget." Gaara told her.

"I won't Uncle Gaara."

The rest of the day was good, the twins enjoying all of their presents, Gaara and Kankuro had to leave to get back to Suna. But this day would later mark a dark day for this family.

Later that night………………..

Everything was peaceful till a crash was heard.

"Shikamaru."

"I heard," said the lazy ninja. He and Temari went down the stairs. The last time someone had gotten into their house Kaida and Hoshiryu had gotten kidnapped.

They did not expect what was downstairs. A winged vampire whose skin was black and wings were red along with its devil horns, claws, lips and the clothing it wore. "Shikamaru Nara," it hissed spotting him.

Shikamaru tensed. Whatever this creature was it new him. "Temari, take the kids and get out of here. I'll take care of this. Whatever this thing is it doesn't like me."

"Fine, but once they are safe I'm coming back."

"Wouldn't have it any other way Temari."

Temari turned and ran up the stairs and to the twins' room.

"Both of you get up."

"Huh," said Hoshiryu rubbing his eyes. Kaida sat up and grabbed her new walking stick. Temari picked her up.

"Hoshiryu follow me, and be careful. Something has broken into the house and I'm taking you two somewhere safe."

Temari climbed out the window with Kaida in her arms, and Hoshiryu following her. They jumped from building to building, little knowing that Temari should have stayed behind.

Back at the Nara house…………

Shikamaru was struggling against the beast, till it threw him on to the floor. As soon as he stood it teleported in a black cloud, and it was letting out a hissing cackle.

Meanwhile……………..

Temari stood frozen as a black cloud materialized into the same beast that Shikamaru had been fighting. Temari then put Kaida down. "Hoshiryu get you and your sister somewhere safe," Temari told him.

"Mom we want to help," said Kaida.

"No! I won't have you two be getting hurt now get going."

Temari turned and hit the creature with a wind attack from her fan. The creature hid itself behind its wings. "Do you actually think that wind can hurt me?" it hissed at her. It then sent a wind blast mixed with black chakra sending Temari against a building, before disappearing in black smoke.

Meanwhile…………..

Hoshiryu lead Kaida through the streets of Konoha, till the creature showed up again.

The creature grabbed a hold of Kaida and tried to fly away. Hoshiryu was holding the creature's wing. Kaida was beating the creature with her fists. "Sleep," the creature said touching Kaida with one of her claws. Then she blasted Hoshiryu off of her wing and disappeared.

Meanwhile…………………….

"So you're back," stated a man with brown hair, a giant white dog with down facing triangles on his cheeks.

"Yes I'm back," the creature stated slowly changing back to Kin. "And soon we will both have our revenge."

**Me: Hi Unices here with My Co-author Temari Sabaku Nara!**

**Temari Sabaku Nara:**


	2. Chapter 2

Ch. 1

Chunin Exams

A boy with red hair in a spiky pony tail was looking from a tree into the sky. His eyes were green and he looked immensely bored. Below him his two teammates were busy arguing whither or not Neji-sensei would enter them in the chunin exams in Suna. The boy, whose name was Hoshiryu, secretly wished his sensei would. He touched the scar on the right side of his face. It was the only thing that hadn't completely healed when his sister had been kidnapped.

"Neji-sensei!" yelled Ookami. Ookami was an Inuzuka. She had a black dog and her hair like the rest of her clan was brown. Their other team mate was totally new to the ninja world, Raion, had blonde hair and was a genjutso specialist. **(He was the son of the ramen mans daughter, and yes he is an oc. Oh and so is Ookami, an oc.)**

"Usually you're not so excited to see me," their sensei stated.

"They want to know if we're going to the chunin exams in Suna," Hoshiryu said with a sigh.

"Well then you'll all have to pack, because you are," Neji told them.

"Ha in your face Raion!!!" yelled Ookami.

"What all the evidence pointed against it!!!!" He yelled back.

"Would you both stop? Hearing you both yelling is troublesome," Hoshiryu told them jumping down from the tree. "See ya both I have to go pack."

Neji looked after the Nara. He was the real reason Neji had said they could go. The others were ready, but Neji believed like his insane sensei that he should have waited. Hoshiryu wouldn't listen to the figures. There was very little chance that his sister was still alive, but he would not give up.

At the Nara house………………….

"I'm home!" Hoshiryu called into the house.

"You're back from training early," his mother told him. His mother was originally from Suna. Temari Nara was her name.

"Where's dad?" he asked her getting himself an apple.

"Hanging out with Ino and Choji, why do you ask?" She said coming in to the kitchen.

"I going to go to the chunin exams," He told her.

"Odd, Neji and your father were talking about that the other day. He said that he wasn't going to send a team as young as you," she mentioned. "By the way where are the chunin exams this year?"

"Suna."

"So you'll say hi to your uncles for me?"

"Of course if I get a chance to talk to them privately."

The door opened and Shikamaru walked in. "Aren't you back a little early?" Shikamaru asked his son.

"Well yes, but sensei let us go early. The chunin exams are coming up and he's sending us."

"Neji told me he wouldn't send your team. He said that you were too young."

"Well I guess he changed his mind."

In the village of the sound…………………..

"Koshaoto are you excited to be going to the chunin exams in Suna?" asked Kin, the Otokage. Her adopted daughter was sitting there unseeing.

"Yes mom I am. I just wonder if I will even do well, I can't see and they can-"

"If by they you mean the other ninja then they better watch out. You have better listening and chakra sensing skills then your teammates. If you were not ready you would not be going."

"I guess you're right."

**End of Chap!!!! I own the original charecters not Naruto.**


	3. Chapter 3

Ch. 2

The family she lost

Koshaoto tossed and turned in her bed. She was dreaming, but it seemed too real.

_Flashback……._

"_Hoshiryu take your sister and go!" yelled a voice echoing across her mind. The wind howled and tore at her being. She was thrown down another way._

"_Never forget…..Never forget……..your roots lie in both Suna……….."_

_End flashback……………………_

She felt herself open her eyes. "Suna," she muttered to herself. The name of the sand village. Was that where her original family had been from? But what was the both. Koshaoto tried to remember but nothing came.

Koshaoto stood up and grabbed her walking stick. It was better then to use chakra for that would just be a waste at a time like this. She walked out into the garden her mom had planted for her. She breathed in the smell of the flowers. Dew had just formed on the grass and tickled her toes.

She laid down in the grass. She allowed sleep to take her, once again through a memory.

_Flashback…………………_

_She was sitting on the ground feeling something fuzzy nuzzle her. A man was laughing as she remembered her hand grab its ear. It snorted and she fell back. She heard her own laughter._

_End flashback…………………_

"Koshaoto you shouldn't sleep outside in the open like that," It was her mom. She opened her eyes. She could feel the sun on her face. She stood still holding the walking stick.

"Sorry mom. I just had to come out here. I had a couple of dreams last night."

"What kind of dreams?" Her mother sounded interested.

"One where I heard a name. Hoshiryu. Oh, and something of my roots being in Suna."

"Really? How funny considering you are going there for the chunin exams."

"Maybe I just imagined it all. I mean I would love to know my real family, but they're dead."

"Dreams can do weird things sometimes."

"I better go. Kiba-senesi said that we needed to get an early start."

"You wouldn't want to keep him waiting."

"No I wouldn't. Oh, why did he tell us that we can't call him Kiba-senesi when we get there?"

"He's wanted in the land of the wind. He's a good shinobi but he doesn't want to be caught."

"That makes sense." She said running out the gate and off to the training grounds using her walking stick the whole way.

Kin pulled out a radio. "Kiba do you copy."

"Hear you loud and clear Kin."

"She's starting to find out. Discourage her of finding any ties in Suna."

"Rodger that. Over and out."

Kin walked back inside the Otokage's mansion. She walked to her dresser and pulled out a box from the top drawer. In it were a few nice senbons, and a picture of Kabuto. It was this that she pulled out.

"Lord Kabuto if you could see this village now what would you think? We have the girl like you had planned so long ago. The destruction of the leaf as we know it is in full swing. Your murderer soon to be begging for mercy. Am I a good leader? I can't lead as well as you did. I hope that that resurrection jutso that is hidden in the leaf will bring you back flawlessly. You will once again lead the sound," Kin said to the picture in her hand. She kissed it before setting it into the box and put it back into the dresser.

Meanwhile…………….

"Wow I'm the first one here," Koshaoto said to her self.

"Hey Koshaoto!" yelled Niouriki. She turned toward her teammate's voice. She could hear his footsteps as he ran. He was her best friend. No matter what he listened to her. He didn't care that she was the Otokage's adopted daughter.

"Well looks like I beat you here."

"Looks like it. I can't wait to go to the chunin exams."

"Neither can I."

**Update Woot!!!! A filler chapter I know, but the next big thing is coming soon don't worry. So Kin is a little insane, no? XD You know you people should still be nice to her even though she is a villainess. It just works for the story. And it is very difficult to write from a blind person's pov. Oh and btw Koshaoto is a combination of the words kosha (person who is blind), and oto (sound). 'Person who is blind of the sound' is the **_**long**_** meaning of her name.**


	4. Chapter 4

Ch. 3

The Arrival- Hoshiryu

Gaara stood there waiting to see who the leaf representatives would be. They soon were seen over the Horizon. He smiled. The leaf were long time friends. He was also expecting a message from his sister. He heard foot steps.

"Hey Gaara."

"Kankuro."

"Do you remember when we went to our first chunin exam?"

"I'd rather not Kankuro."

"Gaara I have a feeling that something really good is going to happen."

"Last time you said that we got news when we were on the road that Kaida had been kidnapped."

Meanwhile…………..

Hoshiryu was bored. The desert was what his mom always said it was but it was boring. Just a bunch of sand and rocks and cacti.

"Hoshiryu?" asked Ookami. "You've been quiet is something wrong?"

"Yea dude you wanted this more then us," Raion mentioned.

"It's boring here. I just want to get the chunin vest, say high to my uncles and then leave," Hoshiryu told them.

"Dude your sister could be dead for all you know," Raion told him.

"Shut up Raion," Hoshiryu told him. Their sensei was silent as usual.

"You can't tell me to shut up! I'm just telling you the facts. The odds are that there is a one in six million chance that she is dead!"

"It's my fault my sister was kidnapped, but she is not dead! Kaida was stronger then me in her jutso. She wouldn't die that easily. I let her down! I-I," tears started to flow from his eyes, "I was supposed to get her to a safe place."

"Hoshiryu," said Ookami, "you're crying. Are you okay?"

"Just got some sand in my eye." He wiped his face. His hand rested on the scar he got that night. The gates of Suna came into view.

In Suna…….

"Welcome to Suna," said a random ninja who was obviously very bored. "Lord Kazekage will see you all in his-"

"No I will see them now," said Gaara walking toward the group with Kankuro in tow.

"Lord Kazekage," the ninja said as he bowed then disappeared out of sight.

Gaara looked at the young Genin. They tired from the journey. Well except one. Gaara caught eye contact with his nephew. "My brother Kankuro will show you to your hotel."

"Me?!?"

"Kentaro is scirving on his duties again."

"Fine. This way."

Neji Hyugga stayed behind. "Naruto gave me a message for you."

Gaara took it and the Hyugga went off to follow the team. Gaara opened the scroll.

_Gaara,_

_Something bad has happened. The Kyubbi has been acting strange lately. Whatever is causing this might be a threat to you and Shikaku. Otherwise the only thing is that the chakra signature of the traitor Kiba has been showing up. His niece is in the same team as your nephew. Just a heads up._

_-Naruto_

In Konoha………………

"_Kit we need talk." The Kyubbi said to Naruto._

"_I'll say. You've not been yourself lately," Naruto looked at the Kyubbi who all of a sudden started coughing._

_When the coughing fit stopped the Kyubbi looked at Naruto. _

"_I'm dying."_

**OMG!!!!!!!!!!! The Kyubbi is dying!!!!!!!!**

**Temari Nara Sabaku: It's your fault.**

**Unices: Who said it was a good plot?**

**Temari Nara Sabaku: Me………**

**Unices: So now you have a new chapter!**

**Temari Nara Sabaku: Review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**


	5. Chapter 5

Ch. 4

The Kyubbi's Tale

"_You're what?" Naruto asked the Kyubbi._

"_Do I have to repeat myself?" the Kyubbi demanded of Naruto._

"_How could you be dying if you are in me and I'm perfectly healthy?" Naruto asked._

"_This started before I was sealed in you kit. I am going to tell you the story of why I got into a fight with Konoha," the Kyubbi pauses "I once was a young normal fox and the original fox protector, or Kyubbi died unexpectedly. I out of many other young foxes was chosen to become the next Kyubbi since he had left no blood heirs to his title._

"_After the ceremony was complete and I had nine tales instead of one I took up the duty of protecting mankind from demons and power seeking people. For a long time then we had been viewed as demons, and this suited us. No one went searching for us._

"_Then I fell in love with a beautiful fox. I knew that I needed heirs, and she was a fox that didn't ever swoon over me when I entered a forest. I fell in love with her and soon she was my mate."_

_The Kyubbi's eyes filled with tears. "My mate was distinguishable from the other foxes by her coat. Her coat was red, even her tale. But to show that she was my mate she had a white mark above her eye. Orochimaru was just looking for power and he kidnapped her. She was soon due for kits. Orochimaru killed her in hopes of gaining some sort of power from our unborn family._

"_Around this time I was found to be sick with a coughing sickness that would slowly kill me. I didn't care. I knew that Orochimaru was in the village of the leaves. So I went there. He had already left. Some of the ninja's afraid for their village instead of giving me information on Orochimaru, attacked me._

"_I flew into a blind fury. How dare they attack me when I seeked the destruction of one of their traitors and my mate's murderer? The Hokage, your father, sealed me in you to protect the village and myself. It killed the poor man. His last words were, 'Get your revenge on Orochimaru, and teach my son how to protect his people.' He was very busy, and felt that he wouldn't be a good father for you. So he died to protect the village, he died so that I might have a better chance at killing Orochimaru, but most of all he died so you could have someone to talk to no matter where you are Naruto."_

"_So my father died so that this would all happen?" Naruto asked._

"_Yes. I was the only one who knew of my mate's death till I was sealed. Then everyone except Shikaku knew," said Kyubbi before starting into another coughing fit. It left him shaking and gulping for air._

"_What happened to him?" Naruto asked._

"_Let's just say that some people shouldn't be trusted with authority positions," said the Kyubbi._

"_Kyubbi what was your mate's name?" _

"_Kajitsu," Kyubbi's eyes went a little foggy when he said her name. "I just wish I could see her, but no Orochimaru had to go kill her."_

"_Her name sounds pretty," said Naruto._

_The two sat in silence. Kyubbi was remembering his time with his mate, till Naruto asked another question. "When you die, does that mean that another fox will be chosen?"_

"_No. There is nothing here to put my chakra into so that the ceremony could be done with another fox. You would be the next 'kyubbi' and you would have to give up your rights as Hokage."_

"_Wait, I have to give up my rights as Hokage?" Naruto looked astonished._

"_You are the only person who could because of the chakra which is passed down; you cannot use the power to become a kage of a village because you are a protector of mankind."_

"_And why do I have to? I worked my butt off to become Hokage!" Naruto looked at the Kyubbi, "That was why you saved me from Kiba….It was so that I could take your place!!"_

"_Kit listen to me-"_

"_Don't you dare 'Kit' me Kyubbi! I don't want to hear it! This whole time you've been just training me just so you could leave someone in your position when you die! You just wanted someone who would be so strong that they could do the job! You didn't even care about my interests!"_

"_Now see here-"_

"_No, I'm outa here."_

Outside……….

"Kyubbi….what a backstabber low life."

Inside………..

"_Kit."_

**Unices: There that is why the Kyubbi is dieing. What will Naruto do? Will he forgive the Kyubbi for forcing this on him? Will he be angry till the Kyubbi dies? What about Koshaoto? Will she remember? Will Hoshiryu ever admit to crying? Only I know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No push the pretty button. You know you want to.**

**Gaara: No they don't.**

**Unices: 0.0; how'd you get in here only me an-**

**Gaara: I paid her in chocolate and they won't review**

**Unices: Why not?**

**Gaara: because I was not in the chapter.**

**Unices: 0.0;;;;;; If you'd review normally if Gaara was not in the chapter tell me Gaara's Cookie jar is empty**

**Gaara: If you only review her stories when I'm in a chapter say Gaara's cookie jar is full **


	6. Chapter 6

Ch. 5

Arrival-Koshaoto

It was night and everyone was sound asleep. Well mostly everyone………..

Inside Koshaoto's mind……………

"_-get to a safe place!" Koshaoto was in a void which she could do nothing. Wind howled. It seemed that the shadows that were cool in the summer grabbing at her. _

"_Let me show you," an unfamiliar voice said before disappearing among the chaos._

"_I promise that if we are on the battle field together I will protect you," said another._

"_You don't need to say that Hoshiryu, I can take care of myself," said her voice before again it slipped into chaos._

"_If you want to use shadow possession you need to be aware of your chakra," came another voice, a voice that took longer to slip into the chaos as she tried to hold on to it._

"_Never forget………Never forget…………………your roots lie in both Suna……………….your roots lie in both Suna…………………Never forget……….Never forget," came another voice, it said the same thing last time._

"_I forgot," she said._

Outside………………..

She awoke before any of her team mates. Her sensei had started a fire, and was cooking up some of the rations. She knew this because his breathing was different and the fire was crakiling. She decided to fake being asleep. More then anything she wanted that dream to come back.

"I know you're awake Koshaoto," her sensei said.

"How'd you-,"

"I'm not a Jonin for nothing," there was silence in the air, "Is there anything you want to talk about? You seem tense. That's not normal for you."

"Sensei do you think there is a chance of me finding my family?"

"If you look hard enough."

"Do you think that I could find them in Suna?"

"No." Koshaoto stared in the direction of her sensei's voice. He was never that definitive about the answers when she had asked him about it before.

"Why not?"

"Because, in Suna there are many things that are strange. Koshaoto, if you searched for your family there it would lead you to false hopes, and dead ends."

Later…………………..

"Niourki, can I tell you a secret?" Koshaoto asked of her best friend as they walked.

"Sure."

"I mean even from sensei, no one must know."

"Of course Koshaoto what are friends for?"

"Okay. I had this dream the day we left from the Sound, and again last night. Though this one was longer. In the dream I heard these voices, and a boy named Hoshiryu, he talked to me. I think he was my brother. There are only bits and pieces. I keep hearing this voice telling me that I should never forget, but I did. The only other clue it gives me is 'your roots lie in both Suna' then it stops. I'm going to try to find what connection I have to Suna. Then I can find my family."

"So why don't you want sensei to know?"

"He wouldn't want me to search there. Told me something about false hopes and dead ends. I can deal with it. I want to know who I am."

"Your Koshaoto who else could you be?"

"I could have another name with my family."

"A rose by any other name would smell just as sweet."

"You go to that play to much."

"But it's true. I could call you tiny face, but you'd be the same Koshaoto no matter what I called you."

"Then call me by the name my mother gave me."

"But you don't know what your mother called you."

"Until I find out my adopted name will do Niourki."

Later in Suna……………………………..

"Welcome. I will take you to the Kazekage's office! We hope that you enjoy your stay in Suna," said an over enthusiastic person, who was defiantly a guy.**(OMG! Suna has there own version of Lee!)**

Koshaoto took a hold of her walking stick. It was covered on the top with a piece of fabric. The streets were made of stone so she didn't have any trouble finding her way. She heard her friend Niourki walking beside her, and her teammate, Nekuro, walking by her sensei. She listened to all the hub-ub around her. Things were so different here. The market was full of people. She had to be listening more here then back in the sound where people would part the way for her and it was a smaller village.

In the Kazekage's office……………

"So the sound only sent one team?" Gaara asked.

"Odd don't you think? The last time they did that Orochimaru attacked the leaf village," said Kankuro.

"That's what I'm afraid of," Gaara told his older brother.

"It's not like you'd die, you're stronger then what the third hokage was."

"That's not what I'm afraid of," said Gaara looking out the window behind his chair, "What do you see out there Kankuro?"

"A strong village, which has someone who cares as a leader who is known to be ruthless elsewhere."

"I used to see the people who'd cursed me, then abused me," Kankuro tightened his mouth. Gaara pretended to not notice, "Now I see that they all need guidance. They look to me, who probably needs the most guidance, to guide and lead them. I just received a letter from Naruto, and now nothing seems to make sense. The village is in danger, and I don't know from what or how to stop it."

"What kind of letter?"

"Don't say anything about this," said Gaara handing him the scroll with the writing.

Kankuro reads it. "Something wrong with the Kyubbi? And a traitor who knows that Hinata would kill him on sight? What's wrong with this?"

"You read the last part about Hoshiryu's team right?"

"Yea."

"If he wanted to see his niece he'd take that chance. If something's wrong with the Kyubbi something bad might happen to the Shikaku and me. If the later happened there would be no way for me to help if the village if someone attacked."

"The sound."

"Yes."

"Can't you bar them from the exams?"

"Only if we were at war." A knock is heard at the door. "Enter," answered Gaara.

Baki entered. "The sound team has arrived."

"Bring them in."

Baki stepped aside. A man, presumably the sensei, walked in with a black dog at his heals. It lay down as soon as the man stopped walking. It had a spike collar which had a leather leash attached. The man's face was hidden by a black mask and his eyes hidden by the hood he wore.

His students then entered. First came a girl who looked everywhere, but never once did her eyes rest on something for longer then a heartbeat. She had her black hair in a braid and she wore a purple shirt and purple shorts. She also did not wear shoes. _'Odd,' _thought Gaara. Her feet showed no signs of being burned from the hot desert sand, which would have happened if she walked all that way with no shoes.

Next came a boy who was a head taller then the girl. He had brown hair and equally brown eyes. He wore a shirt with the sleeves torn off and black shorts. His arms were well muscled, and he seemed to hold a soft spot for the girl because his hand brushed her arm for a brief moment.

The last member was smaller then the other boy but taller then the girl. He wore a black cloak that dragged the floor, concealing any weapons he had as well as his hands.

"Welcome to Suna," Gaara said, "I hope you enjoy your stay. Baki would you mind escorting them to the hotel?"

"I'll take them. Don't have anything else to do," Baki told Gaara as he led them away.

"Niourki, there's something strange about him."

"Who the Kazekage? Don't you know he has a demon inside him?"

"This is different."

"How?"

"He sounds like the voice from my dreams that tells me not to forget."

**Unices: Here's a new chapter I hope you guys like the length.**

**Gaara: sulking**

**Temari Sabaku Nara: What's with him?**

**Unices: They said his cookie jar was empty.**

**Gaara: I want a cookie.**

**Unices and Temari Sabaku Nara: gives Gaara 200 cookies**

**Gaara: Review!!!!!!!!!!!!! XD**

**Unices and Temari Sabaku Nara: O.O;;**


	7. Chapter 7

Ch. 6

A Brother and a Sister

Everyone was sound asleep in Suna as the sleepless Kazekage kept watch. Well almost everyone.

In Hoshiryu's head…………..

_He heard the cackle as he ran along the streets of Konoha. The same way he ran with Kaida those years ago. He heard a cackling in his ears. It was the creature. He was armed with a kunai and he would not let the creature get away this time._

_He found the creature down the same street he'd been leading Kaida on that night. "You think you can defeat me boy?"_

_He threw the Kunai. It never hit its target. Kaida was holding the kunai in front of the beast. "Kaida?" he asked seeing her as he last remembered her._

_She smiled. The dream changed. He was in Suna and a different ninja stood in front of him. She held her head down. Their shadows touched. She then out of nowhere screamed, "Die!"_

_She ran at him with the kunai. He was being held by some sort of invisible force. He felt the sting of the kunai as it struck his heart._

Outside………..

Hoshiryu woke up breathing heavily. His body, despite the cool desert night temperatures, was covered in sweat. He got out of his bed. He needed to get outside. He grabbed a robe the hotel put in the room, and went out onto the balcony. He could see his uncle sitting on one of the buildings.

Gaara turned his head. He must have known immediately that someone had entered the outside world in the night. He was surprised to see that it was his nephew. He jumped over to him. "Aren't you supposed to be asleep?"

"Yea, but I can't."

"You're not an insomniac."

"No that's your role in our family Uncle Gaara. By the way, my mom says hi."

Gaara nodded in response. Something was troubling his nephew; he hid it as well as Temari and Shikamaru if it was a trivial matter, but if it kept him awake it was big. "Care to tell me why you're awake?"

"You wouldn't understand. You've never had a nightmare."

"I kind of have had those," said Gaara, "Every time I sit out here images of the past show themselves. I used to be a ruthless killer as I'm sure your mother and father have told you."

"Yea they told me."

"Those are my nightmares."

"Mine was a little like that."

"Tell me."

"I was in Konoha, on that night. I threw a kunai at the creature. It turned into Kaida who caught the kunai. Then I was in Suna and this other ninja was standing in front of me, and she killed me, I couldn't do a thing to stop her."

"Did you see her symbol?"

"It looked like she was from the sound village. It's probably nothing though."

'_Temari has got to know about this,'_ thought Gaara. "You should probably go get some sleep now.

"Yea, I guess I will," he turned to go back into the hotel room, "And uncle Gaara, thanks for listening.

Meanwhile……………………

Koshaoto was tossing and turning. The dream was back.

_In her mind………………….._

_The voices were now a hurricane of memories. She could not grab a single one. Then it quieted. There was someone in front of her. "I must get stronger….." it said but the rest of the words were unintelligible. She felt pains across her body. She fought back. Then he used a shadow jutso._

"_I'll kill you," she said in a voice that was not her own, yet her own the same. She lunged at it, only to be swallowed up by a void. _

"_Never forget…………….Your roots lie in both Suna………………"_

Outside………………

She woke up. She was scared. The dream had been different this time. It showed her something that was not a memory. She pulled the sheets around her self and went back to sleep.

Meanwhile……………..

Gaara dialed a number on his cell phone. He knew it was an un-godly hour of the night but, his sister needed to know about this.

In Konoha……………………

_Ring_……….._Ring_………….

"Who'd be calling at one in the morning?" groaned Shikamaru.

"Probably my brother," said Temari, "I'll answer it."

She went out into the hall and picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Temari, remember the freaky seer legend?" asked Gaara on the other side of the call.

"Yea, what about it?"

"The seeing ability is a bloodline limit that skips four generations."

"Why do I need to know this?"

"The only family who had it died out when our mother married our father."

"Why is this important?"

"Temari our Grandfather had the ability."

"So? I heard that skipping bloodline limits don't normally stay true, there's a chance it is not passed on."

"Hoshiryu has it," Gaara told her.

"What?" Temari could not believe it.

"He had some sort of nightmare, in the end he died. The cause a sound ninja. However, it started off with a memory of Kaida. This follows a definition of a seer vision," Gaara said.

"Shit. He saw his death?"

"It could mean anything Temari, however if he has it-"

"Kaida has it."

"Yep, which means he has a connection to her. Most of his visions will be about her."

"Gaara, where'd you find out all this?"

"I haven't ever slept. I can't meditate the whole time."

"Thinks for telling me this Gaara."

"You're welcome. I'll let you go back to sleep." Dial tone.

Temari walked back into the room. "Who was that?" asked Shikamaru.

"Gaara."

"What'd he want? Doesn't he know that we're supposed to sleep at this time?"

"It was important."

"What happened?"

"We have to talk."

"Tema, what's going on?"

"My family has a blood line limit."


	8. Chapter 8

Ch. 7

Blood limits and the First Test

"Say that again Temari," Shikamaru said now wide awake.

"My family has a bloodline limit," Temari told him again.

Shikamaru sighed this was _definitely _not something he thought he'd have to deal with. "What kind of ability are we talking about here?"

"A seeing ability."

"A what?"

"Able to see the future, predictions, that sort of thing," Temari told him. Shikamaru rubbed his eyes. There was silence, until Shikamaru spoke again.

"So Gaara had some sort of vision?"

"No, not Gaara. Hoshiryu did."

"He had a vision?"

"According to Gaara he did."

"What was it about?"

"I don't really know," Temari looked down when she said this. She felt uneasy with what Gaara had told her. If she repeated it she knew how it would sink into her knowing more thoroughly. "Gaara only told me a few things. The rest I know is from a legend that I learned in Suna."

"What kind of legend?" Shikamaru pressed. Temari was usually more direct. She was avoiding telling him something.

"Legends about seers finding out that bad things that would happen and stop them. A long time ago there was a man who deceived the elders into believing he was a seer. He would foretell bad things happening, that never happened. Demanded certain people to be killed because they would cause theses things. He demanded to have a lot of money for his services. They found him to be fake and killed him.

"They persecuted real seers because they were scared, so the last family that had it hid it from the rest from the world. The seeing ability was hard to track because it only showed up in each fourth generation."

"So then no more were persecuted?"

"No."

"What did Hoshiryu see? Did Gaara tell you anything about what he saw?"

"He saw……his death."

"His death?"

"His death."

"Shit," Shikamaru cursed under his breath, "and you didn't know about it running in your family?"

"It was on my mom's side. She died when I was young."

Shikamaru got up and left the room. He obviously did not want to talk anymore. Temari lay back down. She had trouble getting back to sleep. She heard Shikamaru moving around downstairs. He didn't come back upstairs the rest of the night.

The next morning in Suna……….

Hoshiryu grabbed his jacket and put it one over his fishnet. **(We all know who dresses like that! and if you don't shame on you ShikaTema fan.) **He walked out of his hotel room to see that Ookami was already waiting in the hall. Her dog lying down on her feet. Obviously at ease. Ookami looked at him. "You haven't been yourself lately."

"Ookami I don't want to talk."

"Back at home you loved to talk. Weapons, jutsos, ninja arts, general gossip. Ever since we got here you've been more quiet. I'm worried about you. You're my teammate and yet your starting to push me and Raion away! We know what happened to you that night-"

"Shut up," Hoshiryu told her, "I don't need you to worry about me. Maybe you should just keep your nose in your own business."

"This is my business. Hoshiryu you're my team mate, my friend-"

"SHUT UP!" Hoshiryu yelled at her. "I don't want to talk, and if you keep pushing the issue I will not talk to you the rest of the time we are in Suna."

"Hoshiryu?" It was not Ookami's voice but his Sensei's. "Come here a second."

As his sensei took him around the corner Ookami looked down at the floor. A single tear escaped her eyes.

Meanwhile with Neji and Hoshiryu……….

"Hoshiryu you do know that the Chunin exams require teamwork as much as your own combat skills."

"Yea, my parents told me."

"Hoshiryu that discussion you had with Ookami, I heard it all. I have never had to get on any of you about teamwork so I'll let this slide, however I want you to know something, have your parents ever told you about the first mission your dad had as a Chunin?"

"Yea."

"Before Sasuke ran away and caused the mess that he did what you just did. He pushed those who cared about him away. Eventually he killed Orochimaru yes, but at the same time he hurt his friends. You have a passion of catching whatever took your sister. So go ahead and follow it, just don't hurt your friends when you do it."

"I'd never hurt one of my friends, even if it was the only way to get her back. She wouldn't want that."

"Good. Now you go and help get Raion up and meet me outside."

"Hai, sensei."

In the hotel where Koshaoto is staying……………

Koshaoto was up and she was ready for the day. She walked outside to find that again she was the first one. Niourki then stepped out of his room. She turned her head in his directions. "Fancy you being up at this time."

"Yea odd isn't it? It's hard to sleep here."

"Yea it is."

Another door opened and out walked their other team mate. "Morning you love birds."

"Ryu Koshaoto and I are not going out!" yelled Niourki as Koshaoto's face started to warm.

"Really? Yea right."

"Just be quiet you two. We don't want to wake up the whole hotel."

"Koshaoto is right." The boys had just realized their sensei was there.

"Sensei."

"Let's go. You have your first test today."

"Hai," they said in unison.

Meanwhile in the Sound……………..

"Soon you will be avenged my Lord. Very soon. Just wait till the exams are over," Kin said to herself.

"Lady Kin, they are ready to plan the invasion," Tayuya said.

"Send them in."

**Unices: Another chapter done review!**

**Temari Sabaku Nara: Wait wasn't Temari and Shikamaru going t-(covers her mouth)**

**Unices: Shush that will come up later**

**Temari Sabaku Nara: Guess what**

**Unices: What?**

**Temari Sabaku Nara: You own Naruto**

**Unices: I do!?!?!?!?!**

**Temari Sabaku Nara: Nope.**

**Unices: (cries)**

**Temari Sabaku Nara: review!**


	9. Chapter 9

Ch. 8

The First Test Begins

Kin was sitting at her desk. The elders had agreed to the invasion. She would soon have her revenge, and the scroll to bring him back.

She opened up a book at her desk. She went through all the genin teams. She rested at her daughter's team. She didn't look a thing like her. Sure they both had black hair but the rest of her showed that they were not at all related. She looked at the two boys. She herself had picked the team. Someone who mastered the basic jutso's along with some sound ones but mostly used taijutso. The other one had been put on there for one reason. He idolized one of the Sound Four.

She chuckled to herself. Koshaoto had been the top of her class in everything but taijutso. One of her team mates had been the top of the class in that area. The other person had done badly in school, however due to some extra information from the teacher's she stuck him on her daughter's team. They were the strongest team out there and she new it.

There was only one thing nagging at her conscious mind. The fact that Koshaoto's real family resided in Suna, her mother's side anyway. She had half her mind not to let them be sent there, yet she sent them. _'If they find out who Koshaoto is, I'll have lost her. Kabuto wanted her here and that is why I brought her. Yet he gave me a family member in giving me that order. Soon though she'll have a father figure, other than her sensei.'_

She sighed. She knew that sending her daughter there was a risk for her. A risk of losing everything a third time.

Meanwhile……………..

Gaara was looking at Kankuro, "I want you to be Proctor at both the first and third."

"I told you that I was only going to be the proctor at the first exam."

"Something has come up. Remember the old seer legend?"

"Duh. That one is repeated so many times. They are all long gone."

"Till February 29th thirteen years ago."

"Wait that was when-"

"Yes, that was when Kaida and Hoshiryu were born. Kankuro our grandfather was a seer, on mom's side."

"Whoa…….wait this is bad."

"Elaborate."

"The known seers were killed along time ago."

"Known being the key word."

"If the village found out-"

"Shit I didn't even think about that. This only to be known between you, me, Temari, Shikamaru and whoever Hoshiryu wishes to let know."

"He's a seer?"

"Yea, it skips four generations."

"And why do you want me to be the proctor for the first and third? You weren't thinking of the village."

"Hoshiryu had a vision of a sound ninja killing him."

"Fucking shit……"

"Nice image Kankuro. Will you do this?"

"Hell yea. Well I better get over to the building where the first test will begin," said Kankuro leaving the room.

Gaara looked up out of the window toward the sky like he did when he meditated. Something told him that this whole chunin exam would be hard to forget, much like his first exam.

Meanwhile………

Hoshiryu was walking with his team mates down to the building where the first exam was going to happen. Their sensei had given them very detailed instructions on how to get there. They did not expect to run into another team while going there.

"Well if it isn't a little team from the leaf."

Hoshiryu looked at who had spoke. It was a guy from the sand village, and he was big. He was a head taller then Hoshiryu and had about twice the muscle mass. His team mates stood behind him. The girl who was about the same height as Ookami smirked. The other boy was as tall as Hoshiryu was giving him a look. One of his eyes was hidden by his black hair. "And it's a big sand gorilla, oh wait a sand gorilla wouldn't be that ugly."

Raion and Ookami started laughing at what Hoshiryu had just told the bigger boy. The Boy turned red in the face. "I will squish you like a bug kid," He grabbed Hoshiryu by his fishnet shirt, "Your uncle maybe Kazekage, but I am stronger then you." He moved in to punch him, but was stopped by his female team mate.

"Do you really want us to get kicked out this early? They haven't even started yet."

He set Hoshiryu back down and entered the building, his two team mates behind him.

"That was close," said Raion.

"Too close for comfort," agreed Ookami.

"If he'd punched me he'd be in a hospital bed guys. We weren't in any danger," Hoshiryu told them as before they entered. They didn't notice that in the shadows another team had seen the whole interaction. Well two from that team anyway.

"Tough competition," Niourki said to his team mates.

"We can take them, right Koshaoto?" Ryu asked their other team mate.

"Yea, no one is going to stand in our way of becoming chunin," she said but her mind was else where. That boy, she'd heard him in her dreams. She shivered from the memory of the night before. Only Niourki noticed.

Once they were inside Ryu started flirting with one of the girls from another team. That was so like him. He was a natural ladies man.

"Koshaoto what happened to you back there?" She heard Niourki ask her.

"Nothing."

"You shivered in the _desert_, something must be up."

"Niourki I'm fine. Let's just show these people what we are made of."

"Okay."

Meanwhile………..

"So these are the people who we're against?" asked Hoshiryu, "This should be a piece of cake."

"No necessarily," said Ookami, "We aren't the only people who have secrets up our sleeves."

"Ruff!" responded her dog.

Raion looked at all the people, "I didn't think that there would be so many teams here…..this is the desert for crying out loud."

"Keep in mind most of them are probably from here," Hoshiryu told him.

"All right you little midgets with kunai listen up!" All of the genin turned to where the voice had come from. There stood Kankuro with a couple of anbu behind him. "If any of you want to become chunin you will have to pass three tests. For the first test you will all be lead to a room in this building. Your team will have to figure out how to get out without destroying the room. If any of you believe this is beyond you, please leave with your team now."

A couple of teams left, but of the teams that stayed only one caught Hoshiryu's eye. One of the members had a stick which she was leaning on. She kept her head down and her black hair was in a braid. He couldn't shake the feeling that he knew her, from his dream. He tensed. She was the one who tried to kill him. The one who had changed from Kaida. She was his enemy; she would try to kill him.

"Good now that no one else is leaving the anbu will lead you to the room in which you will be tested."

Meanwhile…………..

Naruto was sitting at his desk. He was in pain constantly now as the Kyubbi's condition worsened. He did not show it, but he was hurting so much he wondered if he'd ever be without pain.

"_Kit………"_ came the Kyubbi's voice inside of him.

"_What do you want?" asked Naruto going into his own mind._

"_I wanted to apologize. For the forcing of being the Kyubbi and the pain you are feeling."_

"_Why do you feel sorry for me?"_

"_Because I'm done feeling sorry for myself. When I went to kill Orochimaru my reason was my mate. The whole time he was alive I felt sorry for myself for not killing him, to have lost my mate, my unborn kits everything. Years ago I saw I wasn't the only trapped. Shukaku had been trapped and wanted human blood. Since then I started to feel sorrier for myself because I was not feared inside my container like he was._

"_Then it happened, I told you about the fact that I had to pass the being of the Kyubbi onto you. I was hoping secretly that you would feel sorry for me instead of betrayed. I was wrong. You were hurt, I knew that, I've lived inside you for a long time, and not once did I feel sorry for you, and I messed your childhood up. I messed it up; you were hated, shunned, and left alone. Later you became a ninja to be feared when someone messed with the only friends you had, and I messed that up to. You would have probably later been on good terms with Kiba if I wasn't here inside you. You have to give up your dream when I die because I'm trapped here, again something I messed up. And for all that I'm so-" The Kyubbi broke of into a coughing fit that left him shaking like a leaf in the wind and blood coming out of his mouth._

"_Kyubbi," the kyubbi looked at Naruto, "I forgive you."_

"_Thank you."_

In Suna……………..

Hoshiryu heard the door lock behind them. They were in a room with several guns pointed at them, senbon shooters. Other doors opened and out came several creatures, a rhino with three horns, a giant scorpion, and giant cobra.

The senbon shooters started shooting and the animals attacked, it was all they could do to doge, let alone attack.

In another room……………….

Koshaoto cried out slightly as the ground fell away from her. She couldn't hear her team mate's reactions or even tell that they were there anymore. Every once and a while she'd feel a prick on her body, and she immediately removed the weapons that caused it.

She couldn't doge them yet. She had to stop falling.

Meanwhile…………….

The team from Suna was locked in a room. They stood waiting…………..though nothing came at them. Though the room was soon filled with a high pitched sound that hurt their ears.

Back with Hoshiryu…………..

"Hey guys!" Raion called to Hoshiryu and Ookami.

"What!?"

"Remember when you were caught on the horn of the Rhino?"

"Yea!" yelled Hoshiryu.

"It took a couple of seconds for the blood to fall! The animals are all a genjutso!" Raion yelled to him.

"Then cancel it Raion!" yelled Ookami.

"I can't it is beyond a basic kai….. I'm going to need time!"

"Then you'll get it!" yelled Hoshiryu. "Ookami keep the animals at bay, I'll keep the senbon shooters from hitting you and Raion!"

"Hai! Then will take out the senbon shooters!" Yelled Ookami.

"Right!"

Ookami did some hand signs before going into a fang-over-fang with her dog. They kept moving in a circle around Raion and Hoshiryu. Raion knelt down and started making hand signs so he could cancel the genjutso. Hoshiryu took out his puppet and activated the senbon shooters in its hands to send back the senbons aimed at them.

Soon Raion was done with his jutso. The air turned blue with the concentration of chakra. The animals, the chakra that had been disrupted, disappeared. Ookami saw this and took advantage of this and moved into attack the senbon shooters. Hoshiryu started shooting at the shooters directly and they started to explode filling the room with smoke.

Hoshiryu heard Ookami land next to him. The smoke cleared as the door opened.

Meanwhile………..

It was brief moment but she felt it. Her team mates were right beside her. It was a genjutso. She concentrated on her chakra and formed a bubble around her self, something she could do when she was young. She dodged a weapon. Then she brought her chakra bubble out till she could feel her team mates. She didn't even use a hand sign. "Kai."

The genjutso broke around them, she was no longer falling. "Man do I feel pathetic now," said Ryu. "I couldn't see what it really was."

"It was well done, I just got lucky."

More weapons were launched. "I got this," said Niourki.

"Leave some for me," Ryu told him.

"Fine."

Niourki took out some weapons and threw them getting rid of the weapons in the air. Ryu stood and brought something under his cloak to his lips, and blew. A sound higher then anything a human could hear and the machines broke due to the pitch. Koshaoto had her hands on her ears.

"Nice," she said taking her hands away, "you gave me a migraine….."

"Whoops, sorry for not warning you. Forgot your ears were so sensitive."

The door opened behind them.

Meanwhile……………….

The guy who had the black hair brought his hands together and said, "Kai."

The sound ended and they saw four anbu coming at them. The big guy smirked as he made some hand signs and hit one hand on the floor. One of the floor tiles moved up and hit the one of the anbu in the head knocking him out. The girl quickly took a net made out of string and threw it at two of the anbu keeping some wrapped around her hands and made some hand signs. The net caught the two anbu who were then electrocuted. The last one went for the boy with black hair. The boy dodged the attack made by the anbu and did two hand signs before hitting the anbu with his open hand. "Snakestealer jutso."

The anbu collapsed in pain as the boy removed his hand. The door clicked open.

"Let's go."

**Unices: And this is where I leave you.**

**Temari Sabaku Nara: I have a question.**

**Unices: What?**

**Temari Sabaku Nara: When will Shika and Tema make up?**

**Unices: In the future.**

**Temari Sabaku Nara: Darn, I wanted it to be today…..**

**Unices: I don't have that kind of time……**

**Temari Sabaku Nara: Now to you readers what should Ookami's dog be named?**

**Unices: and these new people from the Sand what are their names? I ran out of ideas……**

**Temari Sabaku Nara: Omg! It's a sign of the Apocalypse! Unices has run out of ideas!**

**Unices: O.O; please review as I calm her down………. No you can't steal Gaara's gourd Temari!!!!!!!!**


	10. Chapter 10

Ch. 9

The strength to accept death

The teams were all back in the room where they had started. There were overall twenty teams. Less than at his first chunin exams. He'd made it hard to try to get the team from the sound knocked out, but it hadn't worked.

"All right kiddies listen up! Your next task is a survival task. You are to show up in the village square tomorrow at six o' clock. If you are late you'll be disqualified. Be sure to bring all the equipment you _think_ you need. You'll get the rest of the information tomorrow."

He turned and left through a door at the back of the room. Kankuro grabbed his wireless which he had kept in his pocket. "Gaara."

"What?" came his brother's voice at the other end.

"We have twenty teams for the next task."

"More than half of them will probably fail during the next one."

"Yea. By the way, the genjutso didn't knock out the sound team."

"Well, they probably have a specialist in that area or there sensei taught them all to recognize it and cancel it."

"It was the girl who canceled it, for all of them."

"Wait the genjutso for them focused on them as an individual?"

"Yea that was how their room was set up."

"I want to see the video of them in the room."

"Well I'll be sure to bring it to you."

Meanwhile back in the room………….

"Well we made it," said Ookami, "This second task should be easy."

"Not necessarily, this isn't like surviving at home," said Hoshiryu as he started to lead the others out of the room.

"Excuse me."

They turned around. The girl from the sound team was there, her head as usual down toward the ground. "What's your name?" she pointed at Hoshiryu.

"Why would you want to know?" Hoshiryu asked her reaching for his bag of kunais. If she decided to try to kill him know he'd be ready. Ookami looked from the sound girl to Hoshiryu. She knew that Hoshiryu had just stiffened. Something he did when he anticipated a fight. Raion had noticed too and sent her a worried glance.

"I just do," she responded. She never lifted her gaze from the floor. This girl made Ookami uneasy. Something about her was not right.

"Nara Hoshiryu," He told her.

"I thought so," she said turning around and heading back to her own team.

"Hey!" yelled Ookami. The girl turned around.

"What is your name?" Ookami asked her.

"I'd rather not say," she said before she continued on her way.

"Dude what's with you?" Raion asked Hoshiryu.

"Nothing."

"You're lying," said Ookami as they started to walk out.

"Dude tell us," Raion said.

"No, you guys wouldn't understand," Hoshiryu told them.

"What wouldn't we understand?" Ookami asked.

"Look I can't tell you because I don't really know," his team mates stopped as he kept walking. He stopped a few paces ahead of them. "I want you guys to promise me something."

"What?" asked Raion.

"If I die while we're here promise me that you two will look for my sister."

"There is no way that you can die here Hoshiryu. Even during the survival task we'll have a safety line."

"Just promise me," he said turning toward them. Ookami saw something then that she hadn't wanted to see. Hoshiryu was the bravest of their squad. Yet for the first time since his sister was kidnapped she saw fear in his green eyes. It was hard to see, but it was there.

"Dude it's not like it's going to happen but I promise," Raion said.

"Ookami?" asked Hoshiryu. She remained silent. "Ookami?" he said again a hint of pleading in his voice.

"I promise."

Meanwhile with Koshaoto………….

"What was that about?" asked Ryu.

"Just checking something," Koshaoto told him.

"I'm going to go get the supplies guys," Ryu told them, "Maybe it's best to leave you two lovebirds alone."

"Ryu, for the last time Niourki and I aren't going out."

"Whatever," he said leaving.

"What was that really about?" asked Niourki as he and Koshaoto made to leave. He hadn't told Ryu or even Koshaoto, but he really liked her.

"Hoshiryu was one of the people in my memory dreams. I…..last night I dreamed that I had to kill him."

"Kill him?"

"I have no idea why, he mentioned protecting me once, but there's more."

"More?"

"He said that his family's name was Nara. I know that from somewhere. I just can't put a finger on it."

"Well there was a Nara Shikamaru who killed Lord Kabuto."

"Yea every one knows about him. He foiled the plan that Lord Kabuto had set to make our village stronger."

"Yea but nothing else was really taught to us about him."

"Yea, and right now I wish I did know more," Koshaoto told him.

"Tell you what, I'll go look him up in the Suna library for you and you can ask Sensei about him. He probably knows a bit more than we do."

"Thanks Niourki."

Meanwhile…………….

Gaara winced. He had never felt anything like this before. Pain shot up his body at irregular intervals. Finally it stopped as suddenly as it had begun. A knock was heard at the door.

"Come in," Gaara grumbled.

Kankuro entered holding a couple of tapes. "Did you want to see any one else's tapes Gaara?"

"Not especially."

"There are a couple of things here I think you should see."

"I want to see the sound team first then."

"Okay," Kankuro said walking over to a TV. which was conveniently in the room. He pressed the on button and slip a tape into the VCR.

Instantly an image of three people walking into the room showed on the screen. All of a sudden they seemed to lose their balance and surprised looks appeared on the boys faces. The girl's head was turned down so no one could see her face. Weapons headed toward them every once and a while. Then after a few minutes the girl said, "Kai," but no hand sign had been used.

There was a conversation between the team members, before they destroyed the machines. As they were being destroyed the girl covered her ears. Kankuro stopped the tape. "We had a machine that recorded what ever sound this dude made," Kankuro pointed at the boy in the black cloak, "was too high for any normal human hear, she obviously heard it because he," Kankuro pointed at the other boy, "was unaffected."

"Strange, though not unheard of," Gaara muttered.

"What are you thinking?"

"She was raised in the sound she could be able to here those tones because they are used around her all the time. The boy might not be as exposed to them."

"I think you need to hear this."

Kankuro pressed play on the VCR. "Nice," the girl said, "you gave me a migraine………"

"Sorry I forgot you had sensitive ears."

Kankuro removed the tape. "It isn't that she had been around them. Not from the way he implied."

"Odd…….I wonder what she's hiding," said Gaara putting his feet on his desk and leaning back in his chair.

"I know. She kept her head turned down the whole time. It has to be something with her face."

"Can't be to sure," said Gaara.

"Well there's another thing I think you should see, it has to do with one of the sand teams."

"What?"

"One of them has used a jutso that none of our anbu know about."

"Who?"

"His name is Haru. I think you'd better watch the tape."

Kankuro put the tape in the VCR and fast forwarded it to the fight part. "The boy on the left is Haru."

Gaara watched the boy as he calmly attacked the jonin with the jutso. "Snakestealer jutso."

"Go back," said Gaara, "I want to see what kind of hand signs he used."

Kankuro set it to frame by frame and rewound the tape. Gaara watched as the boy first did bird, then one that he did not know. The right index finger and pinky sat on the left index finger and pinky. He'd criss-crossed the others below and had the thumbs sticking up. "What hand sign is that?" Gaara asked.

"Beats me. Some of the anbu are looking into it."

"I wonder what else he knows."

"So do I Gaara, so do I."

**Unices: And I'll leave you hanging.**

**Temari Sabaku Nara: Why do you always end this story in a quote?**

**Unices: because I did in Cursed Love, and don't ask why because I don't know.**

**Temari Sabaku Nara: Okay, Neither me nor the pegasuses-unicorn thing own Naruto, if you don't know check her profile**

**Unices: I have a name!!**

**Temari Sabaku Nara: You do?!?**

**Unices: I'm Unices!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**


	11. Chapter 11

Ch. 10

Neji's Battle and Shukaku's hints

Neji looked at his students. Something had changed about them. They had told him that they had made it to the next test. However, neither Hoshiryu nor Ookami seemed excited about this. "Which one of you are going to get the supplies?"

"Rock, paper, scissors to decide?" asked Raion.

"Whatever," said Hoshiryu.

"Guess it's fair," commented Ookami.

Raion lost, he had to choose paper. "Darn, oh well at least I have an excuse to wander. See ya later guys." Raion left running down the streets of Suna.

Neji watched as the rest of his team went another way. Well it was more of Hoshiryu headed for the sand training grounds and Ookami followed him. Neji watched them go. He thought Hoshiryu was a bit of a funny person. He wouldn't hurt his friends for the world, just like the Hokage. No matter how much he annoyed him at family gatherings he gave him credit for being something Neji knew he could never do.

Yet you could defiantly tell that his father was Shikamaru. He was lazy whenever he could afford to be. He'd even taken up cloud watching. Yet he fought more like his mom, till it came to shadows. Then he fought like his dad.

Hoshiryu was also a bit like an avenger. He wanted to save his sister and kill what ever had killed her. If Sasuke hadn't been captain of the anbu Neji was sure that Naruto would have given him Hoshiryu's team to him. Hoshiryu also handled his puppet skillfully, and though the other was his sister's he used it as well.

Neji hopped from building to building. He decided to check up on Raion and make sure he wasn't spending the money on wasteful things. To his relief he wasn't. Just on food and water, though he argued about the high price of water, Neji could see that Raion was in good shape this time.

Neji then decided to check on his other students. If they were training then they would probably ware themselves out to the point that it'd make the second task harder for them.

Meanwhile……….

Gaara was looking through the old Sabaku library. There was nothing about the hand sign that had come up. Then it happened. He felt the odd pain again. Out of instinct he grabbed his head. He still had no idea of what it was and it was almost unbearable. As soon as it had started it had stopped.

"_You still can't tell what it is can you?" _asked a voice inside his head. Gaara knew that voice all to well. Shukaku.

"_What do you want?" _Gaara asked him through his mind, though he did it so he would not see the shukaku.

"_I know what causes you pain. I also know the hand sign. The village is in danger."_

"_Tell me something I don't know."_

"_I'm the one causing you the pain."_

"_If you think that by causing me pain you can make me kill for no reason again you're barking up the wrong tree."_

"_I don't want to do that, I just want to pass on the knowledge."_

"_Why would you want that?"_

"_Ask your friend Naruto what happens when a biju dies. As for the hand sign it's like another version of the snake hand sign. Not a good one though. That hand sign is known by many names. It's most common is the dark snake sign. It is one of the terrible nine signs used to summon the enemies of the biju. That one summons the eight tailed evil."_

"_By itself?"_

"_No, it has to be mixed with blood and a seal meaning the enemy. I thought those signs had been hidden from humans. This must be reported to the kyubbi, and only you can do that considering-"_

"_Why should I be worried about your enemies?"_

"_Ask your friend and you will get all the answers."_

Gaara rubbed his head. At least he now had a lead, if what the Shukaku said was true. But if what he said was true then the information was a lot harder to get and Gaara didn't have the time._ 'Why would it matter that a biju died? Is there something I don't know?'_

Gaara was still pondering this when Matsuri entered. "Found anything yet?"

"Nothing," he lied, however Matsuri was one of the only people who could tell when he was lying, she being his wife and all **(Not my fault it's Temari Sabaku Nara's!!!)**.

"You're lying."

"Fine I found one lead but I think that it is false."

"Where did you find it?"

"Shukaku."

"Well is it the only lead you got?"

"I just said that," Gaara was already frustrated and he just wanted to keep his mind on the problem at hand. Neither his wife nor his own brother understood what was going on. Heck, Gaara understood it no better then they did.

Matsuri then sat on Gaara's lap. She knew it annoyed him but she could get away with anything. "Gaara-kun just take a break from all this research. Make Kankuro do it. Besides he's already searching through the anbu archives for it, make him look here to. He has nothing better to do."

"You have no idea how much I'd want to do that, but this is really important."

"More important then the chunin exams?"

"The village is in danger."

"From a genin who can use some odd jutsu? Now you're starting to sound as paranoid as some of the elders."

"Well maybe I am. Maybe I'm not. There are some things that should never all show up at the same time."

"Just stop researching for a while, please Gaara-kun?" She asked complete with puppy-dog eyes, the lip thing and Gaara fell for it.

"I'll take a ten minute break because you insist on begging."

"Okay."

Meanwhile……..

Neji was standing away from the sand training grounds. He was slightly relived that Hoshiryu and Ookami were going easy. All they were doing was taijutsu. Neji leaned up against the wall he was hiding be hind. His students weren't the best in the leaf, if anything the best students were on Sakura's team. The only reason she got a team before he did was because there was a group of academy students who were really into medical jutsu.

Naruto had changed how teams were set up so much and the leaf seemed to be prospering from it.

He heard a two soft thumps behind him. "Well, well if it isn't Hyugga Neji."

Neji spun around faster then what his calm demeanor would have normally aloud him. His blood limit activated. He knew that voice well.

"Aww….look we startled the Hyugga." Neji looked at him. He had a hood, a mask covering up his mouth and the dog was black, but there was no doubt that it was him. He was hiding the white color of the dog.

"Inuzuka Kiba," Neji spat as he got into a fighting stance.

"Guess you really are a genius. To bad you follow a demon," Kiba said.

"You aren't welcome in either of the Sand or Leaf villages, so what are you doing here?"

"Actually Hyugga I am welcome here," he said showing the Sound head band tied on his arm.

"The Sound took you in?"

"No, I'm just doing them a favor. But since we are both here I thought I'd at least offer you a place."

"I don't want anything of what you are dealing."

"Even a chance at being anbu captain?"

"I'd rather work with my students."

"Neji things are going to change around Konoha, maybe you'd like to be one of the ones to make that happen?" Kiba said extending his hand.

"You're going to attack Naruto again aren't you?"

"If that's what you want to call it."

"I'd die before I'd help you."

Kiba smirked. "That can be arranged. Though it is a shame. Akumaru attack!"

Neji then realized that Akumaru wasn't beside Kiba. He turned to see the monster dog with its jaws opened leaping at him.

Meanwhile…………

Gaara was sitting in the library again. The lead had led him to a very old scroll, one that said something that Gaara couldn't believe. It mentioned the older villages and where villages now were it mentioned regions. They were all attached in some way for they were in the descriptions.

"Whatever is going on, it is bigger than Suna."

**Unices: That is where I'll leave you. Sorry I had a bit of a writers block.**

**Temari Sabaku Nara: Yay, and we'll have another chapter up soon.**

**Unices: No we won't.**

**Temari Sabaku Nara: WHAT????**

**Unices: This story is going on hold so I can work on my class work and on Sound of Music Naruto version, but I have a poll.**

**Temari Sabaku Nara: A poll? You're putting this story on hold and adding a poll?-.-; (animae fall)**

**Unices: Yes I am. Should Neji die? Should he live? Should he be mauled so bad that he can't be a ninja? Your choice.**


	12. Chapter 12

Ch. 11

Make up and Leads Followed

Temari was sitting playing shogi against herself. She was sad ever since she and Shikamaru had stopped talking when they'd found out about Hoshiryu's power. She heard him come into the room. She moved a piece, and then another on the other side. Then one piece moved without her touch, but with Shikamaru's hand.

"Playing shogi by yourself isn't fun you know," He said to her as she moved another piece.

"Yea, you're right," she said looking at him.

"Look, I've been kinda an asshole lately," he told her, "I wasn't talking to you because it turned out that you had a blood limit that you didn't know about. It scared me, what Hoshiryu could do that I had no clue about before. I'm rarely in that situation."

"And when you are I have to come save your butt," she laughed.

"And this time you couldn't," he said smiling.

"I guess we really have no clue about this whole thing huh?" Temari asked him taking one of his pieces.

"We know a little bit. Maybe we could ask Gaara more about this," Shikamaru replied moving another one of his pieces.

"I'll give him a call later tonight," Temari replied.

Meanwhile in Suna……….

Gaara was dialing a number on his phone. He heard it ring a few times before the reciver was picked up. "Hello?" came Naruto's voice. It sounded tired to Gaara. Tired and in pain, which made no sense to him.

"Naruto it's Gaara."

"Hey Gaara, is something wrong with the chunin exams?" Gaara could tell for sure now that Naruto's voice was strained.

"More like several things are changing and going bad directions."

"Like what?"

"First Hoshiryu has a bloodline limit from Temari's side of the family. A seeing ability. I'll tell you about it when you get here. One of my genins is using a hand sign that can't be found in any archive. And third what happens when a bidu dies?"

"Shit," came Naruto's voice from the other end, "Gaara is Shukaku dieing?"

"He didn't tell me, he just said to ask you what happens."

"That probably means he's dieing. Well for one, normally the role of being Shukaku would fall to another badger-raccoon thing that you may have out in the desert. In order for that to happen the chakra has to be sealed in some object. In this case, you will become the next Shukaku, and you'll have to give up your position as Kazekage."

"Okay….I become a demon?"

"No, a protector. A protector of humans. To keep people from going after them the bidu they allowed themselves to become known as demons, and told only the kages what they really were."

"Naruto how do you know this?"

"The Kyubbi is dieing."

"Is there anything you can do?"

"No, and his pain now affects me."

"No wonder you sound tired. By the way Shukaku told me that the sign the one genin was using was a demon summoning sign. The dark snake sign. He said it had to be reported to the Kyubbi."

"I'll let him know Gaara. Look I have to go. Paper work."

The line went dead as Matsuri entered the room. "Who were you talking to Gaara?"

"Naruto."

"Have you found out anything else?"

"I've found out a lot. We have to talk."

"What is it Gaara-kun?" She asked sitting on one of the seats in his office.

"If I were to become something other than human what would you do?" he asked her.

"I don't understand what you are asking Gaara," she told him.

"The Shukaku is dieing and when he dies I'm going to become the next Shukaku, who is really a protector faked being a demon," Gaara replied, "When that happens I have to leave Suna. I won't be Kazekage anymore, and I understand if right now you want to leave me and not be dragged into this when he dies."

"That is a big decision to make. Not just for myself," claimed Matsuri looking at the floor.

"I don't want you to think about me when you make this decision Matsuri, this decision is for your happiness. I won't mind if you don't want to go with me when this happens."

"It's bigger then that Gaara-kun," Matsuri looked at him.

"How can it be bigger?" Gaara asked her.

"I'm pregnant."

**Unices: And there you have it!**

**Temari Sabaku Nara: Hey you took out what we were planning!**

**Unices: I know the whole ShikaTema thing just wasn't working T.T**

**Temari Sabaku Nara: (hands Unices a tissue) okay people review!**

**Unices: I think I'm going to go put my emo clothes on….I can't write good love scenes….**

**Temari Sabaku Nara: You are not going emo on me girl!! Hurry and review before she goes emo!! Push the pretty button for your life…and hers!!**


	13. Chapter 13

Ch

Ch. 12

Chunin exams part two….

Hoshiryu and Ookami had finished their sparing match, and were heading back to the hotel to prepare for the next exam. Then Ookami's dog started barking and ran down an alley.

"Kurorai come back," called Ookami running after her. Hoshiryu, ran after them, and was disturbed by what he saw. There was his sensei, face down on the ground in a pool of his own blood.

"What the," Ookami said as she bent to take a closer look at their sensei's body. "He's still alive."

Hoshiryu could feel his body shaking. His eyes scanned the walls of the buildings. They had blood on them. Huge amounts of blood. His body seemed to be screaming. Flashes of his dream entered his vision. The images became stained with blood dripping through them.

Kankuro was walking toward the training grounds. He'd sensed killer intent earlier, and was investigating it. He looked down one of the alleys and found what he didn't know he'd been looking for. He saw his nephew standing there in the alley, so he went down it.

"What happened?" he asked Ookami and Hoshiryu when he saw the kids' sensei.

"We found him like this." Ookami told the middle sand sibling.

He noticed that Ookami was using a healing jutso. "I'll take him to the hospital. You don't need to keep healing him."

"Thank you."

Kankuro reached picked up Neji and set him on his back, piggy back style. That's when he noticed his nephew's eyes. They were dilated and seemed to stare right through him. He wasn't focused on anything.

"Hey kid," he said looking at Ookami, "Take your teammate back to your guys' hotel. Lead him by the hand. He'll go." And with that he jumped away.

Ookami turned toward Hoshiryu. His eyes weren't registering anything. She took his hand, and led him out of the alley in silence.

Meanwhile……

Hoshiryu felt cold in his bones, voices in his ears, all back to that night. Then the dream would come back, stained with blood. Whoever wanted him dead had gone after his sensei, and now his reality was blood. Lots and lots of blood.

Meanwhile……

Niourki was in the Suna library. He'd finally stumbled along a story in the archives about Shikamaru Nara. He'd married Temari, the Kazekage's sister. That explained why that kid was related to both the Nara's and the Kazekage. But why was he in Kaida's dreams? The couple had never lived in the sand village.

"Find anything?" Niourki looked up at Koshaoto who'd been listening to books on tape so that Niourki would look less suspicious.

"Yea, Nara Shikamaru married the Kazekage's sister. Really nothing else. I'm looking to see if there was any birth announcements anywhere."

"For Hoshiryu?"

"Yea….Hey I think I found it!" he exclaimed.

"Really?"

"Yea, he has a twin sister," Niourki told her.

"What's her name?" Koshaoto asked.

"Kadia. Wonder why she isn't here?"

"Maybe she wasn't ready," Koshaoto told him.

"Or what if she isn't there any more?"

"What do you mean?" she asked putting a new tape in the tape player.

"She was kidnapped ten years ago, on February 29th," Niourki said.

"February 29th was when my mom found me….ten years ago," Koshaoto realized.

"Is it a coincidence?" Niourki asked her.

"Defiantly. There is no way I am related to any Nara," she proclaimed to him. Though in the bottom of her heart, a small door that was cracked opened wider, promising new dreams that night.

Meanwhile……….

Hoshiryu wasn't any better after they'd gotten to the hotel. His eyes were still unfocused and he'd been silent. Seeing his sensei almost dead must have done this to him Ookami decided. He didn't act like he was in shock. He wouldn't even respond to everyone in the street. Almost running into people like he had no idea they were there. He was in his own little world.

"Hoshiryu come back to me," she told him as they walked up the hotel stairs. "Come back, don't stay there."

Meanwhile….

Something broke through Hoshiryu's reality. A voice. "Hoshiryu come back to me. Come back, don't stay there."

The bloodied scenery started to fade. He was no longer in the alley but being lead but being led by Ookami up the stairs of the hotel. _'It wasn't real; the blood stains in the dream weren't real. There was no blood dripping across me.'_

'_But still they went after sensei…..why? Why? It's not safe for me to be around any of them. She….she may attack at any time.'_

They continued climbing the stairs. _'Sensei was close to me. I'm going to need to weaken connections to save my friends.'_

He pulled his hand away from Ookami when they reached their floor. "I'm fine. I'll just get some water and go to bed," he told her. "You should do the same; we have a tough day ahead of us tomorrow." Then he entered his room without looking at all at Ookami.

"Hey Ookami what was that about?" Raion called.

She turned and looked at him. "We found sensei in a pool of his own blood in an alley. He's at the hospital now."

"Then why isn't Hoshiryu out here?"

"Huh?" Ookami turned and looked at Raion.

"On our team I'm a genjutso master, but I also seem to be the one who everyone seems to think that I'll find a way to grin during a bad situation. A way to make people to be happy even when things go wrong.

"Ookami, Hoshiryu has suffered a lot, but instead of hiding away he always shared his pain with someone. You always were the one we could go to on advice. You listen more then tell us what you think we need to do.

"Hoshiryu is like the guardian of our team. You can't devote a lot to healing or attacking jutso's since you want to be well rounded. He's always protected us when Sensei wasn't able to. Now he isn't out here. That means something is really wrong."

"How do you know all this?"

"To be a good illusionist you have to be able to observe people in battle, and out of as well. Not all illusions will always work."

"Raion, something happened to Hoshiryu today. When we found sensei he didn't move. He stood there and his eyes were dilated. He stared passed everyone and everything. It was like he was in his own little world. I'm scared for him. He mentioned dying earlier today. I-I….don't want to lose him," Ookami had started to cry. "You two are my best friends. If either of you were to die, I-I…huh….c-couldn't know what to do to get along."

Raion put his hand on her back, "Have yourself a good cry Ookami. I'll go and speak with him. I think that right now he's scared and doesn't want to frighten you."

"Th-Thanks…..You guys are the best," Ookami went into her room. Raion went into his own room where he dropped off the supplies and then he went across the hall to Hoshiryu's room.

"Hoshiryu open up! I need to talk to you!" Raion yelled.

Hoshiryu opened the door, "What?"

"What happened today? You scared Ookami out of her wits," Raion stated.

"That is none of your concern," Hoshiryu answered his teammate with a completely monotone voice.

"Dude what is going on with you? Ever since we got here you've been acting strange. What's with all the secrets?" Raion's voice was rising a little bit now.

"I am hiding nothing Raion, I am still the same Hoshiryu you know," he said in a comforting voice, "I really need to get to sleep and so do you." With that Hoshiryu closed his door. He listened as the footsteps of his friend quietly left his door.

"I'm sorry guys," Hoshiryu whispered to himself, "forgive me. I can't tell you that I'm going to meet death face to face during the last part of the chunin exam." Tears started to flow down his face, "I'm sorry." He then curled up in a ball and slept right by the door as he cried himself to sleep.

The next day…….

All the genin were at one of the gates of Suna. There they were getting ready for the next chunin exam. Hoshiryu was tense, though not visibly. His team mates on the other hand watched him carefully.

With the sound team, Koshaoto was sharing a dream with Niourki. "It was so odd. I heard this woman's voice singing. I lay my head down then I felt this pain across my head and the word _'_sleep_'_. I have no clue what was going on. I think my family might not be dead."

Niourki looked at her, "Not dead? That would be amazing!" he exclaimed, "But what will you do if they are?"

"I'll deal with it when the time comes Niourki. I just wish I knew what to do about that Hoshiryu guy…"

"You'll figure it out." Niourki told her as he smiled. She could feel him smile. It made her feel warm inside. He had a way of helping her through the tough times.

"Alright kiddies listen up!" came a voice over the crowd. Hoshiryu realized that it was his aunt who was directing this part of the chunin exams. "You will have to survive a week in the desert. If you are some how unable to complete the task we will give you these fireworks to shoot of to signal your surrender. Does everybody get that?" Matsuri asked the crowd, which was silent as a grave.

"Right since there aren't any questions you may all leave out of the Suna gates. You will receive your fireworks when you leave."

Each group grabbed a firework as they left. Hoshiryu realized that he only had a week before he knew when he'd die.

"Let's find an area with shade." Raion said as they left.

"Good luck with that Raion," Ookami told him.

"Guys do you see that rock out crop over there?" Raion asked them. Hoshryu looked and grinned for the first time since he'd had the dream.

"Perfect."

**Unices: Hi guys. I'm emo. I wrote an emo chapter. I love being emo.**

**Temari Sabaku Nara: Why are you still F-ing emo?**

**Unices: Only two reviews equals emoness….**

**Temari Sabaku Nara: Oh? Then I'm going to beat it out of you! Ohh Sakurachan!**

**Sakurachan: What I'm in the middle of reading a very good book!**

**Temari Sabaku Nara: I need your help beating the emoness out of Uniceschan!**

**Sakurachan: I've got deer antlers! (Holds up deer antlers that have been sharpened.)**

**Unices: Don't you dare (gives death glare)**

**Temari Sabaku Nara: It's for your own good!**

**Temari Sabaku Nara and Sakurachan: (Beats Unices with the antlers till the emoness and the emocloths are magically gone and gone back to normal)**

**Unices: I needed that. Oh btw Temari-chan I got you a gift.**

**Temari Sabaku Nara: Really what is it?**

**Unices: (holds up a pretty pretty shiny shiny lime ornament)**

**Temari Sabaku Nara: PRETTY PRETTY SHINY SHINY!! (goes crazy!)**

**Sakurachan: You've doomed us all!**

**Unices: Review! **


	14. Chapter 14

Ch

Ch. 13

The Dessert

Hoshiryu felt at peace as he spent his week in the dessert. The tents were in the shade of the rocks, so they didn't have to drink as much water. They also found a small group of cactuses after they scouted out the area. Hoshiryu now knew why his mother had told him that the desert was one of the most beautiful places.

Hoshiryu drank in the blood red sunsets and sunrises. He watched and laughed when Ookami's dog had found a scorpion and found it fun to prance around it. There was one thing that he knew, however, that made him silent when nothing was going on.

Hoshiryu knew his death was coming soon. He would lie awake at night wondering why he had to die. Who was the girl who wanted him dead? He knew he would never find out till the last moment. Time was going to fast.

Then the last night Hoshiryu fell asleep, he woke up because he'd had that dream again.

He looked at his teammates, his friends. Ookami cuddling with Kurorai looked as like she was asleep in her own bed. Raion was turned away from him and softly snoring. These were the people who Hoshiryu had grown up knowing, and now he had to hurt them to save them. His week enjoying the dessert had come to an end. He walked outside of the tent. The cold outside air was uninviting after the warmth of the tent.

He looked up toward the stars. "What is my purpose? Why do I die so young? Somebody answer me!" He shouted the last part. He collapsed into tears on the sand. Ookami looked out of the tent. She had heard his cries.

"Hoshiryu, what's going on?" She walked over to him.

"Get away from me!" he snapped at her. "They want me; they aren't going to get you too!"

"Hoshiryu-"

"I said get away from me!" he snapped looking at her. His eyes displayed fear.

Ookami stood there staring at her red haired green-eyed team mate. The held there position for one minute. "I'm sorry," he told her when he realized he could not scare her away, "I just want to be alone."

"Why?" she moved close to him and sat down, "Hoshiryu what's going on here?"

"Nothing….I'm just really skittish about the test."

"You have nothing to be worried about. You are the strongest one of us."

"Yeah, maybe you're right," _but I know you are wrong_,' he ended silently as they went back into the tent.

**Unices: Yes it is short but nothing really important happened in the week.**

**Sakurachan: And you made Temachan go crazy with the pretty pretty shiny shiny**

**Temari Sabaku Nara: PRETTY PRETTY SHINY SHINY!!**

**Unices: Okay two things kudos to Ghostfur who came up with Ookami's dog's name. And that was to punish you Sakurachan**

**Sakurachan: What??**

**Unices: yep never ever beat me with deer antlers, now for Temachan's punishment. (Walks over and steals pretty pretty shiny shiny.)**

**Temari Sabaku Nara: Pretty Pretty Shiny Shiny? That Mine!! GRRRRRRR!**

**Unices: (deletes pretty pretty shiny shiny)**

**Temari Sabaku Nara: That was mean Unices-chan**

**Unices: Don't beat me with deer antlers, and one more thing**

**All: REVIEW!!**


	15. Chapter 15

Ch

Ch. 14

Hinata's Decision/ The Beginning of the End

Naruto was doing paper work at his home desk late at night. Hinata, who'd just put their kids to bed walked over to him. He was deep in work. Hinata had noticed his deteriorating health over the past couple months. His blonde hair was now silver-blonde and he had very dark circles under his eyes.

"Maybe you should save this paper work for later," Hinata whispered to him.

"I have –arrgh-," Naruto bent over the paperwork in a reaction to the pain. He heard the Kyubbi's yell from the pain in his ears.

"Naruto!" exclaimed Hinata. She put her hand on his arm. He finally started to breathe normally. "You should see Sakura, or at least go to the hospital," Hinata told him.

"I can't."

"Naruto-kun why not? This is serious."

"There is nothing to be done for this."

"What's going on Naruto?"

Naruto looked her in the eye. Her eyes with no pupil and white with a hint of lilac gazing back at him. "Because the Kyubbi is dying."

"Dying? But if he dies won't it kill-"

"It would kill me if he was removed. When he dies I can no longer be Hokage, because I will have to take his place."

"As a demon?" Hinata looked at Naruto fearfully.

"Not as a true demon. A fake. More of a guardian, and when the Kyubbi dies you have a choice to make."

The room was silent. Naruto opened his mouth and continued to explain to Hinata what was happening. He told her about what her choice was and how it would impact their family. The whole time she listened silently.

"Naruto why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Too many things are going on. Even Gaara's going through something similar, and the chunin exams, and fuck it's too much to deal with now."

Hinata looked at him. It seemed to make sense. She glanced at the papers he was working on. Papers to recommend a replacement Hokage. "I'll go with you. It's better for all of us," she said motioning toward the kids' rooms.

"Thanks Hinata." He kissed her lightly, only to have it turn into the most passionate kiss they had ever had.

Over in Suna next day…………

Kankuro surveyed the Genin who had made it through. Ten teams. One of them was the Sound team, the team from Konoha, and one of the others was the team with the weird kid. Now if only Gaara would get down there he could start a match.

Gaara did eventually come down, Matsuri in tow. He nodded at Kankuro to start the next part.

"Alright you have all have to face one person in order to pass to the final battles. It is there that you will be chosen if you are chunin. You are to go to the balconies and wait for your name to show up on the screen."

The genin went up and waited as names and symbols flashed on the screen. Hoshiryu watched with a cold sensation in his stomach. This could be where his life ended. He watched as a name flashed on the screen. Koshaoto, which had a sound symbol by it. _'Is it the end already?'_

The name that flashed next was Ookami. His heart sank even more.

_Flashback….._

"_You have the least to worry about. You are the strongest of us."_

_End Flashback……._

"Oh, no," He whispered to him self so no one could hear. Ookami had a different reaction.

"Sweet. First match."

Meanwhile…..

"You're up," Niourki told our favorite sound kunochi.

"You're against a girl named Ookami from the leaf village," Ryu told her as she nodded to Niourki signaling that she heard him.

"This is going to be fun, will you hold my walking stick Niourki?" she asked holding it out to him.

"Sure…." She then jumped her chakra surrounding a small bubble around her as she flipped and landed gracefully on the floor.

She felt someone hit the floor. No someone and _something_. It felt like a dog. This would make things interesting. She smirked and kept her head facing the floor.

"You're going down," her opponent said. The voice of course was female and the dog barked. The bark told Koshaoto that it was also a girl. Big deal.

"Why don't you wait and see before you brag."

**Unices: Next chap is the fight.**

**Temari Sabaku Nara and Saku-chan: (Glare)**

**Unices: What?**

**Temari Sabaku Nara and Saku-chan: (Glare)**

**Unices: Okay….I'm sorry this is late, school got in the way then I killed my pinky…**

**Temari Sabaku Nara: Killed your pinky?**

**Unices: Yes while playing saxophone.**

**Sakura-chan: okay people review or Unices-chan's pinky will die again.**


	16. Chapter 16

Ch

Ch.15

Koshaoto's Hidden Understanding

Ookami took out a kunai and she and Kurorai charged toward their opponent. Her opponent did not look up. She didn't even move, till the last second. She danced her way away from Ookami and Kurorai. Hoshiryu hadn't seen anyone fight like that since his sister was kidnapped. Ookami looked at her opponent bewildered. "She's quick," said Raion beside Hoshiryu.

Ookami had decided that she could end this quickly, Kurorai was on her back. She did a few hand signs. "Fang over Fang," Kurorai and Ookami changed into beast forms of Ookami and started to spin and came at Koshaoto for two different directions. She smirked, and put her hands together in a very simple hand seal.

"**Oto shuuha****awa," the air around her started to shimmer with chakra. As soon Ookami and Kurorai entered the shimmering air the jutso ended with them both shrieking in alarm to the unexpected pain. Ookami was covering her ears.**

**Hoshiryu stared at his team mate in alarm. This girl could use sound jutsos, and make sounds high enough to affect Ookami….She was too good. "What chance does Ookami have winning against her?" Hoshiryu looked at Raion startled. "Well?" the genjutso master asked again.**

**"Not good," answered back Hoshiryu.**

The girl named Koshaoto smirked and let go of her jutso. Hoshiryu new it was only the beginning.

Meanwhile…….

Koshaoto created the bubble of sound around herself a little late, though she faked her smirk to scare her enemies, who didn't know that she was blind. This was the same girl who'd challenged her the day that she learned Hoshiryu's name. She was surprised when a memory had come back to her in the middle of the battle.

_In her head……._

_She felt herself move in that same maneuver, "Kaida that's going to get old really quick," It was Hoshiryu's voice._

"_Yet you still fall for it."_

Out on the battle field…….

She wasn't that girl that was from the Nara clan, and she'd prove it. Ookami tried to attack her again, and she shielded herself. She decide to end it quick. She did several hand signs as Ookami moved into another taijutso attack. "Nai Oto." A scream and a crash told the end of the fight. She had won, but felt like she was also losing a part of herself. "Winner Koshaoto."

Meanwhile……

Ookami slammed into the wall underneath Hoshiryu and Raion, and the sound girl was pronounced the winner. Hoshiryu and Raion were already running down the ramp, Ookami was badly hurt. She had blood running down her cheek from a wound in her head. The medics were already moving her onto a stretcher.

Some of her blood was on the floor by the stretcher. Hoshiryu noticed this as they carried her away, telling both boys to get back. He bent down and got some on his fingers. He remembered the story about the Hokage that his father and sensei had told him. _'She's going to pay….She may not know it yet, but when the fight is over, though I may be dead she'll pay.'_

He and Raion walked back up. The next names were Haru, who was from the sand, and Ryu, one of the boys from the sound. One of them grinned.

"Sweet."

**Unices: Okay now I wish to dedicate this chapter to Saku-chan.**

**Temari Sabaku Nara: Yes she fell of the school's roof and now has a broken arm and both legs are broken.**

**Random voice: Can we visit?**

**Unices: You aren't supposed to be here!! (All of the Naruto good guys wonder in.)**

**Temari Sabaku Nara: I invited them, now will you pull the lever?**

**Unices: I guess I will(pulls random lever, they are teleported to Saku-chan's hospital room)**

**Everyone: Surprise!!**

**Saku-chan: Holy Shitake Mushrooms!!(reads chapter) Oh….Thanks, Everyone else you'd better review!**

**Unices: Or Tobi will shoot you with his gun.**


	17. Chapter 17

Ch

Ch. 16

Fight Two

Ryu, unlike Koshaoto walked down the ramp down to the arena. He moved his hands so that his sleeves hung loosely at his side. Haru smirked. He would make sure to end this quickly. He jumped down lightly.

Kankuro looked at Gaara for the signal to start. Gaara nodded. "Begin," as soon as the word left Kankuro's lips Haru rushed at Ryu. Ryu dodged and brought something to his lips, stood on one leg and blew. Instantly the ground started to rumble and the air tremble.

"A very low #C** (for those of you who don't read music its C sharp)**? He's playing with his opponent Niourki." Those were the words Hoshiryu heard.

"He always does Koshaoto. Especially since you beat your opponent so easily," her team mate told her as Haru was blasted from the floor, "His opponent is now flying through the air."

Hoshiryu stole a glance at his team mate. He was more interested in the fight then what the two sound people were saying. Hoshiryu wondered why he needed to tell the girl what was happening… "Not for long, he leaps very easily. Ryu's trick won't last long."

Right as she said that Haru disappeared and reappeared behind Ryu. "Strike of the wounded Hyena!" The attack missed as Ryu dogged, or almost. His black cloak was ripped off. He stood their with some sort of wooden contraption filled with holes. Some were capped and some were open. Their was a mouth piece right at his mouth.

"He's reviled Ryu's instrument," said the boy right next to Koshaoto.

"Shit….That's not good."

"What the hell is that?" questioned Raion to no one in particular.

Hoshiryu decided just to watch the battle. He would get no other information from listening to the two talk.

Ryu meanwhile smirked. "You know you're not all that tough, though escaping an attack like that requires skill. But will you be able to do it again?" with that he put it to his lips and blew. The air and floor trembled more this time. No one could hear the note, but it was noted that he was standing in a different position then when he released the first one.

Haru gripped the floor. "You're weak," he said when Haru stopped blowing, "It's sad," he said standing, "that this whole time I was expecting some sort of strong opponent and I get a boy who just stands their and blows." He raced at Ryu at a speed that could only have been rivaled by Lee. Before Ryu could counter attack Haru hit him. "Snakestealer Jutso!"

Ryu's instrument shattered where Haru hit. He spat out blood as he went flying backward. "Winner Ha-," said Kankuro knowing that Ryu shouldn't keep fighting.

"No, I can still fight," interrupted Ryu.

"Can you really? Spitting out blood and splinters in your abdomen? You've got guts, but you are surely stupid. How they let people like you become ninjas is beyond me," Haru smirked at him.

Ryu reached behind his back and pulled out a half-sized katana that he hid in his instrument. He raced towards Haru at an awkward bumbling gait. As soon as he reached him Haru grabs his arm and kicks him in the abdomen, sending him sprawling. Haru walks up to him, "Like I said…weak."

"Winner Haru." Kankuro said. Medics came in to get the sound Shinobi as Haru turned and walked up the ramp to the balcony.

Something was odd about that Shinobi, Gaara decided. It didn't take Gaara long to realize what it was, he acted almost like himself when he was that age. Gaara twitched. He did not want to be reminded.

"He's badly hurt…" Niourki told Koshaoto.

"The best thing we can do is stay out of the way of the medics."

"Right."

Hoshiryu looked at the guy who had been beaten. He was barely hanging on to consciousness. How could that guy do that in only three hits? _'Hopefully Raion won't have to go against him.'_

"That dude is scary," muttered Raion before whipping his head to the screen to see whose name would be next. It revealed that Raion would be going next, against the guy's teammate, Aki.

"He'll be easy," Haru told the girl who was Aki.

"Shut it Haru, I can judge for myself," she snapped at him before jumping down.

Raion grinned, his previous reason for being scared forgotten. "She will never know what hit her," he claimed jumping down.

**Unices: End of the chap peoples.**

**Temari Sabaku Nara: Umm…..Unices….**

**Unices: Ya?**

**Temari Sabaku Nara: The Oc's are here.**

**Unices: o.o;; What do they want?**

**Raion: We want a couple of polls!**

**Ryu: And a chance to do the disclaimer!**

**Unices: Fine.**

**Koshaoto (Kaida): Will I know the truth before the invasion?**

**Raion: Who will Aki fall for?**

**Haru: You're stupid.**

**Raion: Huh?**

**Haru: She'll fall for me!**

**Ryu: You sure about that.**

**Hoshiryu: Vote A for Haru, B for Raion, C for Ryu, D if you really don't care……**

**All Oc's: Review and Unices and Temari Sabaku Nara do not own Naruto! If they did we'd exist outside of fanfiction!**


	18. Chapter 18

Ch

Ch.17

Battle Between the Genjutso Master and The Suna Kunochi

Raion cracked his knuckles as he looked at his opponent. She stood their examining him. He knew why. Whenever anyone looked at him they would underestimate him. He didn't wear any armor, so they assumed that he was weak or had some super strong jutsu. Both worked toward his favor. If only he knew what she thought it would make it easier.

Meanwhile Aki couldn't see how he had gotten this far in the chunin exams. He didn't look powerful at all, but then again she guessed neither did she. She put her hand on her weapons pouch.

"Begin."

She sent cords from her hands which he dodged by somersaulting to the right lightning ran up them and torched the arena floor. He jumped up and ran at her with a kunai. She shifted her gaze and sent more cords twisting through the air like snakes. He dodge rolled again. _'What is he doing? He dodges well but not well enough.'_

"Denko-hi bou: spinning capture technique!" she yelled while she made the sign of a bour, snake, before taking hold of the cords she had used chakra flowing through them creating nets of lightning and ice. She started spinning the nets held long. She closed her eyes pumping chakra into her feet; she spun faster and faster waiting till she new that she caught him. The nets started to twist around a point before pulling it with them. He was snagged. She opened her eyes to see her opponent damaged by the nets, trying to futilely cut them with a kunai. "Don't try to escape," she said walking toward him.

"I'm not," said a voice behind her. She turned to see her opponent, he was in the net, yet he was out here. The one in the net disappeared, a kunai left in his place.

"A clone," she said in a mocking tone. _'He's good, really good, but I'm better.'_

"You could say that," he bit his thumb, "summoning jutsu," he slammed his hand onto the ground. In a poof of smoke a giant chimaera appeared, "let's see how well you dodge." The beast roared sending flames toward Aki. There was no way she could dodge that big of a flame.

"Hi-toku: Full body armor technique!" Bour, bird before her some of the cords made an ice chakra shield in between them before binding the shield to her body in an armor. The fire partially melted it before she jumped up and started throwing kunai at the beast. She landed behind it to feel cold metal on her throat.

"Game over. Kai." The chimera disappeared and she found herself in her ice armor with a kunai right on her throat. "I thought that you were strong, I guess that genjutsu can beat even the toughest of ninja."

'_Genjutsu?'_

_flashback_

_He was doing his first dodge roll his hands held together, moveing._

_end flashback_

"I was in a genjutsu for the whole battle?" she whispered under her breath.

"Winner Raion."

**Unices: Hey sorry for the long time no update**

**Temari Sabaku Nara: Are you really?**

**Unices: Yes! That means I've recovered!**

**Temari Sabaku Nara: From what?**

**Unices: Stupid people, oh and I have an anouncment**

**Temari Sabaku Nara: What?**

**Unices: I'm looking for a beta reader for Sound of Music Naruto. Please my loyal readers I need your help! T.T**

**Temari Sabaku Nara: Review the tears are a warning for emoness!**


	19. Chapter 19

Ch

Ch. 18

A Truth Reveled

Hoshiryu shook his head at his teammate. Raion had been working on a way to use genjutso in this way, but this was definitely not the time to run a field test of what he'd been working on for months. He just gave away his biggest secret, but he won. So he'd have more incentive to perfect it.

Raion slowly took the kunai away from his opponent's neck. She allowed her body armor jutso to dispel, before walking out a door headed toward the outside. Raion walked up and took his spot beside his teammate. "You put up a good fight," the guy with the black hair told him, "I can't wait to fight you."

"How do you know we'll fight?" Raion asked him.

"Call it a hunch," Raion pretended to buy into his bluff. He made his eyes really big.

"Are you psychic?"

The guy with the black hair rounded on him, "Don't you even suggest that. All the _seers _were killed before I was born, evil backstabbers they were. I wouldn't even make a joke of it foreigner."

Meanwhile….

Naruto was sitting at his desk doing paperwork, when a knock was heard at the door. "Come in."

"Good afternoon Lord Hokage," said Anko as she walked in.

"What's happening Anko?" Naruto asked looking at the ANBU member. Yes, Anko was in the ANBU, she just never wore her mask.

"I have a request. I want to go with you to Suna to the public part of the Chunin exams," Anko rushed out. Naruto looked at Anko.

"You want to go to Suna? Why would you, Anko, want to go to Suna?" Anko had hardly asked for anything. Being Orochimaru's student had done that to her.

"I have…personal reasons." She looked at the floor.

"Anko what are those reasons?" She hid her surprise. Naruto never second guessed any of the ninja of Konoha, except when there was danger in the immediate moment.

"Thirteen years ago I had a ten month vacation granted to me by Tsunadae. I had a run into Orocimaru, and it resulted in me getting pregnant. Under Tsunadae's orders I left the village to have the child before taking it to an orphanage and giving him to the head of the orphanage. The woman died seven years later.

"For years I've been wondering if he was fine. Other then hearing that the woman had died I know nothing." She looked at Naruto's stunned face.

"So you wish to go to Suna to see your son?" Naruto asked her. Anko nodded, "You know if what you said is true he may be dead. Considering who his father is."

"I still have to know," Anko told him.

"All right you can come, but don't share why you are coming with anyone else. I'll make up some sort of cover story."

"Thank you."

Anko got up and turned to leave. She heard a grown come from the man behind her. She would have dismissed it had not a half-grown, half-feral whine come from the source. She turned to find the Hokage hunched over in pain, his eyes closed. She felt chakra flux in the room. Then as quickly as it started it stopped. Naruto looked up to see Anko staring at him.

"Tell no one. That's an order," he growled.

"What are you hiding from the village? Are you sick?"

He stared at her, then repeated his command. Anko then shook her head, "I'm sorry, but you need to see a doctor."

"They can't do anything. This is out of their control. If you want to go to Suna you will not tell any body," Naruto knew what he said was harsh, but what he said was true. It would be a disaster if any one found out. He hadn't even told Sasuke and Sakura and they'd been his teammates.

Anko stood there for no more then ten seconds before sighing. I will tell no one."

"Good." Naruto went back to his paper work. He listened as retreating footsteps told him Anko was leaving. When he was sure that she was gone he sighed.

"_You can't keep this a secret you know," _the Kyubbi told him_, "People will freak more if you don't tell them."_

"_I already know who I'm going to tell and when Kyubbi,"_ Naruto replied, _"but the time isn't right. Something's going on at the chunin exams. I want to find out what before I do anything."_

"_A wise choice, but you and I don't know when I'll die, that means that guarded secrets may need to come out into the open sooner then you'd expect."_

"_I need comfort food."_

"_What you going to go eat ramen?"_

"_No,"_ Naruto told him.

"_No?"_

"_I want pie."_

**Unices: I'm a bad author.**

**Temari Sabaku Nara: Yes you are.**

**Unices: I wasn't able to update for our birthdays'**

**Sakura-san: You still have that competition you could do.**

**Unices: YAY! I'm not a bad author after all!! XD**

**Temari Sabaku Nara: wait what competition?**

**Unices: Here are the rules**

**Temari Sabaku Nara: Hello I just asked a question!!**

**Sakura-san: 1. Must be on the internet**

**Unices: 2. Must be drawn, not a modified character**

**Temari Sabaku Nara: Hello?! Writer in the dark here**

**Sakura-san: 3. Can only be of the following oc's**

**Hoshiryu**

**Ookami**

**Raion**

**Koshaoto (Kaida)**

**Ryu**

**Hinari (strong guy from Haru's team)**

**Aki**

**Temari Sabaku Nara: I still don't know where this came from!!**

**Unices: 4. Haru will have a separate compotition later so he is excluded.**

**Sakura-san: 5. Contest is over in two chapters**

**Unices: 6. If there are several in one category and I can't pick there will be a pole set up.**

**Sakura-san: Winners will all be announced together**

**Unices: Winners get a dedicated one shot of their favorite couple done by either me or Temari Sabaku Nara(per category)**

**Temari Sabaku Nara: Do I get a say in this?**

**Sakura-san and Unice:No!!**

**Unices: Review!!**


	20. Chapter 20

Ch. 19

Trials Aren't Over

Hoshiryu was lying on his bed in the hotel. He had won his battle easily. Well not exactly easily. He'd had to use his puppet to win. He had preferred to have waited but unfortunately his opponent was too strong.

_Flashback….._

_He stood there as his opponent launched another attack. His attacks were all earth based and he was in a clear advantage seeing that he was in his own village. Hoshiryu got thrown into the wall by the wave of earth._

'_I have to end this,' he thought. He pulled out a scroll and bit his thumb. Watching his opponent he wiped it over the parchment. A small poof and a clatter of wood told him his puppet had been released._

_His opponent ran at him reaching into his weapons pouch. Hoshiryu quickly attached his chakra strings to the puppet. He started up the senbon shooters in its hands. He watched as the needles shot toward his opponent. He moved his fingers, feeling the puppet move instead of watching it. Needles were sticking out of his opponent in non-serious locations, but none the less his opponent jumped to the right. 'Now,' he thought shifting his green eyes as he watched his opponent. The senbons shot slower and toward areas that he knew chakra points were._

'_Gaahh,' his opponent yelled as he fell to the floor. Hoshiryu stopped the shooters. The kunai had dropped from his opponent's hand. The battle had been won._

_End Flashback….._

He sighed. If he was going to get that girl back for hurting Ookami he was going to need to train. But his sensei was in the hospital. So was Ookami his brain added without hesitation. He got up and left the Hotel. He needed to see her. He didn't want to go to find her awake. By doing that he'd strengthen the bond. He wanted to make sure that there was no more chance of anyone around him getting hurt.

In Konoha…..

"You can take care of the village till I get back right teme?" Naruto asked Sasuke. Right after becoming Hokage Naruto had made Sasuke the ANBU captain and gotten rid of Danzo's root ANBU.

"Dobe, if you can take care of the village I can," Sasuke responded.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that," Naruto told him, "Now if you excuse me I need to pack."

Naruto left his office in a tired walk, lumbering from side to side. Sasuke put his ANBU mask back on and then used a teleporting jutso and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Elsewhere…..

Sakura was at the training grounds packing up the medical materials that she'd used during her teams latest training session. She heard a soft poof next to her, "Have you seen Naruto lately?"

"Short glimpses, but I haven't had a chance to talk to him," she told the figure next to her.

"He needs medical attention," the figure stated.

"I know that, but with a team and the head medic position I'm a little tied up. He's turned away every medic I've sent."

"Have you asked Hinata to talk to him?"

"Anytime I bring up the subject she changes it. I think she's trying not to realize that something's wrong with him."

"I don't like this…" the figure said under his breath.

"I'll see if there is a way that I can get him to have a checkup before he leaves," Sakura mentioned as she stood up, "So whatever it is will be discovered soon. Oh and on your way home I need you to pick up some thing's Sasuke," She said holding up a list. "I'd pick them up myself but I have to run by the hospital." Sasuke nodded and poofed away.

In Suna…..

Aki was walking toward the orphanage. She didn't like living there. Her parents had died just before she started at the ninja academy. "Aki," she heard from be hind her. It was Haru. A feeling of apprehension washed over her. No one knew who they were to each other. She inched back into the alley way by her as he walked toward her.

"You lost," he said when he was in front of her.

"Yes, I lost."

His black eyes glazed over her. "You shouldn't have. That leaf scum should not have been able to beat you," he paused thinking for a minute, "You didn't let him win did you Aki?" he asked Aki dangerously.

"No," she stated, "what would give you that idea?"

"It doesn't fit. You shouldn't have lost," Aki was used to this. He cared about her, however, at times like this she wished it'd be a more loving care, than the care he called 'love'.

"Maybe I misjudged his strength," she mentioned hoping to distract him.

He turned to her, "Of course that was a factor, but he will be put in his place." She bit her lip. She was hoping that he wouldn't have gone there.

She tried again, "The loss was all on me, I won't lose so early next ti-"

"Do not say things like that!" he yelled. Next he stated, "You were top kunochi in our class, he shouldn't have been able to beat you. It is not your fault. I will remind him that we are to be feared and you should have been the one to continue on. _Not him_."

She stood there and closed her eyes. He wasn't going to change his mind. When she opened them he was inches away from his face. His eyes locked on hers. His arms had her pinned against the wall. He leaned in and kissed her cheek, before whispering to her, "He will be put in his place," he hissed the last word. He then turned and left.

She leaned the rest of the way against the wall. She fought back the tears coming to her eyes. He claimed that he loved her, but he forced her into a shell. If it hadn't been for him, she wouldn't have gotten into the academy. She hated the fact. Because of it she was stuck in a relationship where she was just a thing to take pride in. She slid down the wall and let the tears fall. To everyone else she was seen as being a confident, young, and a bit cocky kunochi. In reality she was scared that at any moment Haru would hurt someone because he thought she was wronged. He'd done it once, when they were both at the orphanage.

_Flashback….._

_One of the boys in the academy had pushed her down. She had gotten back up and fired a punch at him. He was a couple years older and he easily blocked it and punched her in the nose. She'd gotten back up but before she could try to attack he attacked the bigger boy, and he eventually won. Sure they all got detentions, but afterward was the start of it all._

_After the detention he'd gotten her into the same alley and told her he'd work with her on her ninja skills._

_End Flashback….._

'_I shouldn't have accepted his offer,'_ she thought as more tears fell. Her body shook all over. She slowly worked on regaining her composure. Before standing up and heading back to the orphanage.

Meanwhile…..

Hoshiryu walked down the hallways of Suna's hospital. He knew where Ookami's room was, but first he wanted to check on his sensei. He stopped and peered in. His sensei was kept in a coma because of operations being done to deal with the wounds he'd received. He'd heard a nurse talking about an eye surgery. Apparently his right eye might have to be taken out due to the wounds on his face.

All of a sudden he felt it again. The blood running over his body. However it only lasted a second. He felt his face. He had felt a sudden pain especially near his right eye. He then realized that the same places he felt pain was where his sensei had been injured. _'What the hell?'_ he thought. It made no sense in any way shape or form.

He decided to quickly see Ookami then to go talk to his uncle. Whatever was happening his uncle could have an idea.

It took him a little while to get to her room and like he was hoping she was asleep. Her dog had been taken to a veterinary hospital so she was the only one in the room. He walked toward her. She had bandages wrapped around her head but for the most part she looked the same. Bruised but the same.

He walked in and sat down next to her. He watched her for a few seconds then, overtaken by some mysterious impulse** (who wants to blame it on hormones? (Every one raises hand) XD) **he reached out and brushed away a few stray hairs, his hand brushing the bandages.

All of a sudden he got a huge headache one of those that he would have slept till it had passed. As soon as he pulled away it disappeared. However, something happened. Ookami opened her eyes.

"Hoshiryu?" she asked.

He couldn't really leave now. "Yeah," he answered, "It's me."

"Why weren't you here earlier?"

"Earlier?" he asked his voice cracking a bit. He really wanted to leave. He didn't want the blind girl, Koshaoto, to target her.

"Yeah, when Raion was here," she talked slowly; he could see that she was very tired. He decided to change the subject.

"You should get back to sleep," he told her.

"But you didn't answer my question," She responded as he got up and left. He didn't even acknowledge her last sentence.

In Konoha…..

Naruto sat writing on small pieces of paper with Hinata standing over his shoulder. "These should allow you and the kids to change when the Kyubbi dies. He's been working on the jutso for a while, however it has to be sealed," Naruto told her as he placed the pen back where it belonged.

He placed all three sheets on top of each other and started a long and complicated line of hand seals. The black letters on the top page glowed blue then eventually the red color of the Kyubbi's chakra. After about a minute Naruto stopped the handseals. "That should do it," he sighed.

Hinata nodded and took out a small needle and started to make the pieces of paper into necklaces that she and the children could wear so that they'd have the maximum effect.

Elsewhere…..

Shopping. A chore Sasuke hated. Especially when he had to pick up _them_. Them translated to tampons **(pause for snickering from the readers)**. Yes, Sakura had handed him a grocery list.

He had decided to just continue wearing the ANBU uniform so he wasn't found out.

Going to the cashier, Sasuke holding the tampons, about to meet face to face with humiliation and it's name, was Bob.

Bob said "Hey baby! What's up? You wanna go to my house for a… a party"

"Uh… You do realize I'm guy right?"

"That's okay man come on over the party will be awesome. So, whatta you say?"

Sasuke is twitching uncontrollably.

Random person 101 "UH…Dude? Will you be done soon we all have lives to get to."

Everybody around Sasuke and the cashier nod their head yes so Sasuke would leave.

Sasuke comes back to reality and punches Bob in the gut sending him flying into the Kakazu bumper stickers that say "I'm cheap. Gotta Problem with THAT!"

Random person 101 "O...Okay dude just stay calm and please don't kill anyone."

Sasuke looks around at all the people. They are all frightened.

Sasuke "All I want is my change and my reseat. Then I'll be on my way."

Bob gets back up and brushes the Kakazu merchandise off his uniform and runs over to the cash register and quickly gives Sasuke his change.

"Never say that to me again Bob after all I am the head ANBU."

**Unices: Welllllllllll sorry about it being so late. I had a psyco path running a muck in my house.**

**Temari Sabaku Nara: THAT IS NO EXCUSE!!! You need to have it done sooner or I go emo.**

**????????: I feel so left out of dis covermasation. **

**Temari Sabaku Nara: Wh… What was that???**

**Unices: You mean Who was that. Lets meet our mystery guest!!!! Get out of the Toilet Squirrel Girl.**

**Weird girls head is popped out of the toilet.**

**Squirrel Girl: I can't I siz stuck in her since chappy 1**

**Unices: (twitches) Wait (Looks left and right) Weren't you just running a muck in our house.**

**Squirrel Girl: Jessa!!!!(Just like cheese on fosters home for imaginary fwiends p.s. I like cheesy, chocolaty miiilllkkkk) Jes I WWWWAAAAASSSSSSEEEEESESSESSSEESSS**

**Temari Sabaku Nara: Wait a minute…. How do you to know each other. **

**Unices: (Pulls Temari Sabaku Nara over by the ear and whispers something in her ear. Temari Sabaku Nara Gets plate eyes) Now don't tell anyone."**

**Temari Sabaku Nara: SHE'S YOUR LITTLE SISTER!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?1?!?!?!?!?!**

**Unices: I TOLD YOU NOT TO TELL ANYONE!**

**Background: Squirrel Girl while her head still stuck in a toilet .is reenacting Dane Cooks Famous CAR ALARM ( Seatbelts, Trunk Space ect.)**

**Unices: YOU JUST TOLD THE WHOLE WORLD**

**Temari Sabaku Nara: OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH… Well that's a bummer.**

**Saku-chan(who has recovered from being in the hospital again…): WHO ARE YOU!?! (is pointing at Squirrel Girl's head in the toilet in the middle of the second verse of Dane Cooks Famous CAR ALARM)**

**Squirrel Girl: Izs Squirrel Girl**

**Unices: She's my (twitch) little sister**

**Saku-chan: I'm Temari-chan's little sister and I'm the only little sister allowed here!(pulls out a shovel)**

**Squirrel Girl:(Jumps out the toilet) I'll fight you for that right!**

**Saku-chan: You're on**

**Annoucer Gai: They start an all out brawl.**

**Temari Sabaku Nara: Would you get outta her Gai!!!!!!!!!!!!**

**Unices: This is gonna take a while. **

**Squirrel Girl: TIME OUT. YOU BETTER REVIEW OR I WILL SEND YOU BACK TO THE ZABUZA SAGA AND MAKE IT ALL PASTELLY **

**We do not own Naruto, Naruto Abridged, Dane Cook, or, Dane Cook's car alarm. However Unices owns Squrill Girl. No one may use the name.  
**


	21. Chapter 21

Ch. 20

Alone in the world…

Haru was just entering his home. Well, in truth it wasn't his home, more of his legal guardian's home. Baki. He remembered the first day he had met the man face to face. He slide off his shoes as the memory came unbidden.

_Flashback..._

_He stood there solemn with the other orphans. One of the women who had taken care of them had died of an odd disease. Haru had spent more time with her then the other kids. She was the one who had taken him in and taught him till she felt he could be with the others. _

_Now there she lay. In a coffin, made of sandstone. He glanced over toward Aki. She alone was as close to a friend as he'd get. The only girl in the entire orphanage that wanted to be a ninja. Of course she wouldn't be allowed. It was against the orphanage rules that the girls be allowed to go to the ninja academy. _

_He stared back at the casket, only to have a flutter of movement catch is eye. It was a cloth that covered half of a man's face. It didn't take him long to recognize him from the talk that the bigger boys said. He was Baki, supervisor of defense and of the academy. Even more then that, he'd been the sensei to three of the most deadly ninja in Sunaese history. The children of the fourth Kazekage, Gaara, the Kazekage, Kankuro the head of offence, head of the puppeteers, and chief advisor to the Kazekage and finally the Konoha ambassador, Nara Temari. _

_There should be no reason for him to be here. Haru quickly turned back toward the women in the coffin. What secrets were you hiding from me Uta-san?_

_After the ceremony was over Haru lingered. He really didn't want to go back to the orphanage yet. He'd be back by curfew. He walked up to the freshly dug grave, and kneeled there. He'd learned long ago that it did no good to cry. Crying just made things worse._

"_Shouldn't you be getting back to your home young man?" Came a voice behind him._

"_If I had one. The orphanage doesn't really count." He answered staring at the head stone._

"_Really?" the deep voice said, "then what is home?"_

"_Home is home. Not a place where you constantly have to watch your back."_

_They stayed silent for a few minutes, the unbroken breeze started to pick up. Haru stood up. "I guess I'd better be going now."_

_End Flashback…_

That had been years ago. Baki had shown up the next day and done a half adoption, not his father, but his legal guardian. Thanks to him Haru did have more freedom, but sometimes it came at a price. He entered the main area of the house. He tried to creep silently up the stairs so as to relax from the day.

"Haru, close the blinds, I wish to talk with you." Baki's voice sounded through the house.

"Shit," he cursed under his breath. Close the blinds was a code phrase that meant either Baki wanted to spar to see how good he'd gotten, or he was in trouble. He'd guessed it was the latter.

He went through every room of the house closing and securing the blinds, causing the house to darken the entire time. By the time he was done he washed his hands in the bathroom. He reached into his eye and pulled out a tinted black contact. His vision instantly became better. With the tinted contacts in everything was tinted black. Without them his eyes showed what was really there. He glanced into the mirror, his yellow eyes staring back at him, his cat's eye pupil the most distinguishing feature.

He left the bathroom and hurried to the room where Baki was and sat in front of him.

"I'm disappointed in you Haru," Baki told him, "What you did at the exams was inexcusable."

"He was going to keep fighting I had to cripple him," Haru responded.

"You could have won that match by just pinning him. Had you held him there helpless, you would have won and not have put him into critical condition."

"It's not like he was from one of are true allies, he was from the _Sound _who in their short history have been known to turn on their allies and enemies just as quickly," Haru retorted.

"Then we need to be extra careful not to give them an excuse to attack us then don't we?" Baki questioned, "Because Haru that is what you just gave them. An _excuse_. If you want to become a Chunin you can't be this reckless."

"So if he were attacking Suna I should just pin him and not kill him?" Haru tested. Baki had no reason to be angry with him.

"If it were in the field the situation changes entirely Haru. You know that!" Baki stood up and yelled. A pregnant silence filled the room. Baki was breathing heavily and Haru just staring up into his face, surprise and fear on his features. Baki had never yelled at him, punished him yes, but never yelled. The two of them remained like that for a few moments.

"You're right," Haru told him, "I was irrational. I'll do better the next time a situation like that arises."

"You'd better," retorted Baki, "I don't want to get Suna into a war."

Elsewhere…..

The wind had just picked up, and the desert heat of the day was leaving for the desert cold of the night. Hoshiryu held his jacket closer as he made his way to his Uncle Gaara's mansion. The temperature had dropped drastically by the time Hoshiryu had gotten to his Uncle's door. He knocked loudly.

"Well," said a voice as the door opened to revel his Aunt Matsuri **(again, not my fault…)**, "If it isn't Hoshiryu, what are you doing here so late?"

"Hey, I need to talk to Uncle Gaara," He told her, "It's urgent."

Her eyes darkened slightly, "Everything seems to be lately. Come in."

"Why would you say that?" he asked as he entered the dwelling and took off his shoes.

"Things just don't seem to be going as peacefully as your Uncle hoped," She started walking down the hall, and Hoshiryu followed. They stopped at a door which Matsuri knocked.

"Who is it?" came Gaara's voice.

"Gaara it's me and Hoshiryu. He claims he has to talk to you," Matsuri answered through the door.

It was silent for a moment. "Come in," Gaara told them.

Matsuri opened the door to Gaara's office and strode in, Hoshiryu walked in line behind her. It was his Uncle's study, and it was covered in books and scrolls, literally. The desk had a pile that was overflowing on to the floor obscuring the desk. The three other chairs were covered in much the same way and there were seven mounds on the floor. Gaara meanwhile had his nose buried in a scroll titled, "The Shukaku". "Still studying?" Matsuri sighed.

"Yeah…Nothing that I didn't already know," Gaara mumbled the last part as he threw the scroll into one of the piles. He looked up. "What is it you need?" he asked Hoshiryu.

"I had something weird happen to me," Hoshiryu told him, "I glanced at my sensei and I felt _pain_. It was odd. It was like I had his injuries. I hurt where he had been attacked, and then it happened again when I visited my teammate, I felt the pain she was feeling then."

Gaara stared off into space for a few moments. "I was hoping to tell you when your parents got here," he said, "but considering the circumstances, I'll have to tell you now. Matsuri can you go get Kankuro? He's going to need to be here."

Matsuri left without a word as Gaara started to riffle through the stack of read scrolls. He pulled several out tossing some back into the pile, and put the rest on his desk. It didn't take long for two poofs told Hoshiryu that his uncle and aunt had come into the room. "Shut the door," Gaara told them before turning to Hoshiryu, "did your mother ever tell you the seer legend?"

"Seer legend?" Hoshiryu asked, "what's-"

"I thought we were going to wait for Temari and Shikamaru to arrive to tell him," Kankuro interrupted.

Gaara looked at his elder brother, "Unfortunately things have taken an unexpected turn," Gaara told him before turning back to Hoshiryu. "The seers were a family that had an unexpected bloodline limit. Every four generations seers would be born. Because of this the seers not only arraigned marriages and encouraged their sons and daughters to marry young but they also wrote down everything they knew. Unfortunately that is really all we know. They were supposedly killed off when a man pretended to be a seer and had people killed off for his own gain. After that all the seers were supposedly killed off, or so we thought."

"I'm a seer?" Hoshiryu asked.

"He's a what?" Matsuri yelled.

Gaara looked at Matsuri. "He's a seer."

"B-b-but they were all killed off," she stammered.

"Matsuri, one branch of the family went off into hiding. The last seer was my grandfather on my mom's side," Gaara told her in a calm tone.

"You mean….." Matsuri trailed off and without warning she tore from the room.

"Matsuri," Gaara called as she left before shaking his head, "explain what you know Kankuro," he told his elder brother, "I have to straighten this our with her." Gaara then quickly left the room.

Kankuro and Hoshiryu looked at the door way where Gaara had gone to get Matsuri for a few seconds. Kankuro then looked at his nephew. "I don't know a lot, but I'll tell you what I do know…"

Meanwhile……..

Gaara was searching for Matsuri. He finally found her sitting on a window seat looking out the window. "Matsuri..." he half spoke half whispered.

"I don't want to talk right now Gaara," She said still looking out the window.

"You don't have to talk," Gaara told her, "I just want you to listen," he said as he walked toward her. "I should have told you when I found out. I had been doing some studying and discovered it in a very old scroll. I didn't want any one to know. Then Hoshiryu had a vision. This is what has caused me to be so studious over the past couple weeks," Matsuri turned her head toward Gaara. He was now silent his head toward the floor.

"It's not that Hoshiryu is a seer that I'm worried about," Matsuri claimed as she rested one hand on her stomach. Gaara's eyes met her own.

"No own will harm our child Matsuri, they wouldn't dream of it," he told her.

"It's not the safety that I'm worried about."

Gaara raised one nonexistent eyebrow at Matsuri.

"The council would use him."

**Unices: I'll just end it there**

**Haeruka: That's not cool! You've been away to long! (Temari Sabaku Nara went and changed her name)**

**Sakura-chan: Actually the next thin that is about to happen is not cool**

**Unices and Haeruka: ????**

**Squirrel Girl: two reviews are not enough! I push the button now!**

**Everyone else :NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

**Squirrel Girl: (jabs button multiple times)**

**Everyone gets sent to the pastelly world of the first Naruto arc.**

**Haku: Who are they?**

**Zabuza: I don't know. Let's just kill them.**

**Squirrel Girl and Sakura-chan: No!!!!!!!!**

**All: Review or Zabuza and Haku will kill us!!!!!!**


	22. Chapter 22

Ch. 21

Leaving

Naruto picked up his pack and set it on his shoulders. He winced as the pain hit his shoulders. He shook his head to clear it as he became dizzy. The Kyubbi's sickness was causing him more and more problems. He heard the door open behind him, "Naruto-kun are you ready?" Hinata asked him, worry in her voice. It showed up there a lot now.

"Yeah," he said grinning at her, "Lets go to Suna."

Meanwhile….

Shikamaru had no idea why he'd agreed to head off to Suna so early. Temari walked beside him. Neither of them spoke this morning. They were thinking about the unexpected visit they had received from Uchiha Sasuke.

_Flashback,_

_Shikamaru and Temari had just started up another game of Shogi. The entire time talking about what they could do to help Hoshiryu, when they heard a hard rap at the door. Temari had been the one to answer the door considering that Shikamaru thought it was too troublesome. _

"_When is Naruto leaving tomorrow?" Sasuke asked Temari._

_Temari, knowing that the Hokage didn't want other people to know when he was leaving, only told Shikamaru and herself because they were leaving with him told Sasuke in a firm voice, "That's classified information."_

_Sasuke didn't even flinch or blink, "When is he leaving?" He repeated in a stern voice._

_Temari's gaze hardened. She'd lived long enough in the village to know that there were quite a few ninja who you did not want to get onto the wrong side of, and Sasuke was one them. "That is classified information, I would go ask your Hokage," she told him._

_Sasuke's eyes flashed into the Sharingan. 'Shit,' Temari thought, as Sasuke stared at her. He meant business. "You are going to tell me or I'll-"_

"_Hey!" came a yell from behind her that startled both her and Sasuke. It was very hard to get Shikamaru to shout, but when he did he had to be extremely pissed or really worried, and she guessed that it was the former. "I recommend that you leave now, Sasuke." He said standing to Temari's left._

"_Oh and your going to make me?" Sasuke asked shifting his gaze. Shikamaru stared strait back. Tension hovered in the doorway. _

"_Do you doubt that I can?" Shikamaru demanded. It was silent and a pregnant pause hovered in the air._

"_Don't tell me you haven't noticed Nara?" Sasuke questioned._

"_Noticed what?" Shikamaru stated. _

"_Naruto," Sasuke told him, "he's not himself."_

_Shikamaru looked taken aback. 'He does seem different,' Temari thought, 'more tired then normal.' Shikamaru appeared to be pondering Sasuke's statement._

"_He won't let a medic see him," Sasuke continued_

_End Flashback…_

They had told Sasuke what he had wanted to know, but then it was a question of Naruto's health. He was a friend of Shikamaru's and heck he had cured Gaara of being homicidal. Temari just felt that something was wrong in the air.

Naruto and Hinata were already there at the gate when they made it. But they weren't alone. Sasuke and Sakura were there, and Naruto looked pissed. Temari could tell that the Hokage had been arguing with both his top medic and his captain of anbu, and she could not tell who was winning.

"You are not fit for traveling. Not without an anbu escort," Sakura told Naruto, "I can tell that without an exam! And don't think that just because you were on our team and hokage that I'm just going to overlook this! It is exactly the opposite!" Sakura yelled the last part.

"Thank you for your concern Sakura," Naruto told her. Shikamaru blinked in amazement. He didn't see how he could have missed the raspieness that was now in Naruto's voice. "But it is not for you to be concerned about," he cracked a smile, "Going to Suna and getting away from the paper work will do me good."

"If you think that I'm about-" Sakura started before someone interrupted her.

"Whoa, there's a crowd here are we having a going away party?" Anko questioned.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. Anko was coming with them? Now he knew something was wrong.

"Sakura did you really think that I would go with out someone from the anbu? But we need to be setting off. Lets go every one," he yelled running out the gate, Hinata close behind. Anko followed, with Shikmaru and Temari last.

Shortly after they were out of sight of the village Naruto slowed down slightly and they kept going toward Suna.

"He's going slower then normal," Shikamaru mentioned to Temari. Temari nodded then she answered him.

"He's hiding something."

**Unices: Okay so we are hiding in a box in an attempt to save ourselves from the crazy killers.**

**Hakura: And it seems to be working…**

**Squirrel Girl: Not for long…**

**Saku-chan: Don't you dare!**

**Unices and Hakura: SHHHHH!**

**Zabuza: I think I herd something…**

**Squirrel Girl: There was only one review, and that was from Princess Malika**

**Unices: Kudos to you Princess Malika**

**Squirrel Girl presses the button, "AAAWWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!"**

'**Tinky winkie… dipsieee… lala…. Po….'**

**Squirrel Girl: AAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!! Dis is worse than de story Isis writing.**

**Unices: Oh yeah, she'll be making an account and then I'll only be allowed to use her in one story…**

**Saku-chan: Halluah! I mean auhhhh….**

'**Big Hug'**

**Zabuza: AHHHHH! They are too friendly!**

**Haku: I can't destroy them!**

**Unices: review to save us and Zabuza and Haku from being teletubified.**


	23. Chapter 23

Ch. 22

The journey/Aki's forbidden romance

They continued on their way to Suna. It was dark before they stopped, though most of them were not even truly tired, being ninja.

Naruto quickly set Temari and Shikamaru to find wood, Anko, Hinata and Naruto were to set up the tents.

Being a forest finding the amount of wood needed was quickly found, food cooked and eaten. Everyone except Anko went to bed as she had first watch. Well almost everyone.

In Naruto's tent…

Naruto groaned and moved again. He could not get comfortable. The Kyubbi's sickness was taking more and more of a toll on him. "Naruto-kun are you okay?" Hinata whispered.

"Define okay," he chuckled painfully. Even breathing hurt. Naruto hurt in places he didn't know existed.

"You really shouldn't have yelled at Anko," Hinata told him turning toward him.

"Ughhh…I had to Hinata. She disobeyed a direct order," he sighed.

"Are you sure that she was the one who told Sasuke? I mean I'm sure he and Sakura could have found out the information if they pressed hard enough, and it doesn't help that you've sent away every medic that they sent to you," Hinata told him as she carefully wound her arms around his stomach and rested her head in the crook of his neck.

Naruto sighed, "I guess you're right, but we told no one but her, Shikamaru, and Temari."

They lay like that for a while listening to the crickets chirping outside of the tent. "How much longer do you think he has?" She asked him.

"No idea Hinata…none at all."

"You have to tell them," she whispered in his ear.

"Who? I know I have to tell Sasuke and Sakura but not now…" he stopped as another pain spased through his body.

"You have to tell Shikamaru and Temari. I mean if this could happen to Gaara-"

"It is happening to Gaara," Naruto interrupted.

"The Shukaku?"

"Dying."

Meanwhile in Suna…

Aki was slowly heading back to the orphanage. Curfew had been lengthened due to the chunin exams. It was like the whole village was parting because of it. So many lords from many countries.

Honestly Aki was starting to be sick of it all. Everyone was so cheerful and at the expense of a handful of Genin.

"Hey you!" Aki spun around. There standing in the middle of the street was Raion. The guy who beat her. He was pointing at her. He started walking up to her. "Aki, right?"

"What is it to you?" she shot back starting to turn back toward the orphanage.

"Do you know where I could get a decent bite to eat around here?" He asked as he caught up with her. "I mean I'm tired of eating hotel food and I figured a strong kunochi like yourself would know where something good to eat is."

She stopped in her tracks and turned to him, "What makes you think that I would know where to get good food anyway?"

"Because your strong," he told her grinning. She must have had a questionable face because he immediately started plunging into an explanation," There are four things that make a shinobi strong, heart, food, talent and a great sensei. Team mates help as well of course."

"Right…then I'm not strong. The food I eat tastes like crap," she told him.

"So you've eaten shit your entire life?" He asked her, and she couldn't help it. She burst out laughing. "What's so funny?"

She stopped laughing, "I wouldn't say that it was shit but they don't get the best of chefs for the orphanage," _'What am I doing? I'm telling all this to a ninja who's not part of my village, after he made a fool of me.'_

"You're an orphan? Wow that surprises me. I mean I thought that you had been trained by your parents from seeing how you fight. But then again who am I to pass judgment? Our Hokage was always an orphan." He glanced over her shoulder, "Hey why don't we go there?"

He was pointing to a curry restaurant called ninja star curry. "I don't think I'll go anywhere with you," she told him.

"Why not?" he asked her, "Consider it a way to make our villages closer together, besides my treat, and you need to taste some half-way decent food for once."

He grabbed her hand and before she knew it he was pulling her across the street. She had no time to react but within seconds she was sitting down across from the leaf shinobi and he'd ordered two plates of curry served over rice.

"You know I never really accepted. I should just walk out of here," she told him when the waiter disappeared.

"But you're not going too," he said taking a sip of his water.

"And why do you think that?" She asked him. He wasn't like any shinobi she'd met before. He made assumptions and just off of how some one fought without even thinking that it may be different, and he was impulsive. Not a bad thing but it was one of those things that could get you killed.

"Because no one will turn down free food, especially if they have never tasted food as good as this smells," he told her matter-of-factly. She didn't know what it was about him but he seemed to make her laugh, that is if she hadn't learned how to hide laughter along time ago.

The food came soon after that and she started chowing down. It was good, really good. Spicy but good.

"What are you doing?" He asked her. She looked up he hadn't eaten more then a quarter of his food and she was half-way done, "When you have good food you have to savor it. Make it last. Have you never done that?"

"I'm an orphan, if you want to get enough to eat you need seconds and only the fastest eaters get seconds," She told him.

"Then I guess I'll just have to teach you then," he said smirking. Before she could react he was besides her holding her hand with her chopsticks. She felt her face flush. The only guy who'd held her hand had been Haru, and never in front of so many people, "It's all in the technique," he was saying not seeming to notice her blush, "You have to get a big bite. Not a huge one, but little bites just won't do. Just like this one. Then you bring it toward your face and take it into your mouth, but make sure when you chew it you chew it slow," he said as he guided the morsel to her mouth. She wasn't thinking, but she took it, and just like he said, she chewed it slowly. It seemed as if she just tasted what she had on her plate, the flavors now much more complex.

"Mmm," she groaned allowing her shoulders to fall. It was much better then that stuff they called food at the orphanage. She couldn't believe that they would feed them such slop.

And he laughed. Raion laughed at her reaction and she couldn't help it, she laughed too. She laughed like she hadn't in a long time.

The finished up their meal, and then, because she couldn't shake him, started walking toward the orphanage.

"You know Suna must have more orphans then Konoha," He said looking at the night sky. The temperature was starting to drop but they didn't really mind. "Considering that you in Konoha orphans are normally given to whoever is closely related to them and we don't have a designated orphanage."

"Yeah, I guess we do," Aki answered, "and there isn't really enough room. I got my room to myself only because I need room for my ninja supplies, but it still isn't big enough. Pretty much it's a closet with a window."

"Why?" he asked her.

"Why what?"

"Why don't the villagers do something. Why don't they build a new orphanage and make more room?"

"Because we're nothing," she told him.

"I don't believe that. How could you breathe if you were nothing?"

She stopped for a moment. "You wouldn't understand. You're from Konoha."

"Try me."

She turned and looked at him. "The ones in the orphanage belonged to non-important people and families, and with the politics here even someone from a prominent clan can end up there. Suna is ninja's and politics and nothing more."

"How interesting," Haru said to himself under his breath, "are you nothing?"

"I, I don't know," Aki said, "I'm a pawn I guess. No more then that. I don't really know other then I'm not in charge of my own life."

"Do not say things like that," Aki looked at him in surprise. Haru had told her the same thing a while ago. "You are in charge of your own life. No one can tell you otherwise. You can't let people control you."

"What would you know about that?" Aki snapped.

"My mom didn't want me to be a ninja. I took in charge of my own life and now I'm here at the chunin exams and I couldn't be happier. I'm doing what I want to do. Are you doing what you want to?"

She was silent and looked at the ground. He didn't say anything. How long they stood there she didn't know but they did eventually start walking and when they got to the orphanage, something unexpected happened.

"Here's my stop," she told him.

"Wow you're right it is worn down."

"Thanks for walking me home tonight," she said as she started toward the door.

He reached out and grabbed her arm and quickly spun her toward him, and kissed her. Aki had been kissed before, but all those kisses had been rough and all of them from Haru. Raion was much gentler. She responded and all too quickly he pulled away, "I'm sorry-" he began.

"I liked it," she interrupted a small smirk on her features. He responded with a smirk of his own and with one last kiss he left.

She walked into the orphanage, dodged around other orphans and quickly went into her room and shut the door. It hit her. She had kissed a different guy the Haru. She had kissed Raion. A small gasp escaped her. If Haru found out he'd be dead, and she'd be in so much trouble.

'_But I don't like Haru'_ she told her self. Her panicking lessened _'I don't like Haru,'_ she repeated to herself over and over till it became a whisper, then she said it. Then she ran to the window to yell it to the whole world, but she stopped. She was afraid of what he would do if he found out. For now she decided to keep this information to herself.

**Okay this was a long chappy review we're still waiting to be saved from being teletubified.**


	24. Chapter 24

Ch. 23

Training Starts

"Why didn't you send me a message?" Naruto asked. He and Gaara were sitting in the kazekage office.

"Issues with the hospital staff," Gaara told him, "It was also a saving face-"

"Gaara this is not the fricken TIME FOR POLITICAL MEASURES!!!" Naruto shouted banging his hand on Gaara's desk.

Gaara folded his hands. Naruto was shaking from his out burst. "I didn't want to do it, but I didn't press the issue because it is the chunin exams and if it had gotten out that a leaf nin had been hurt, well there would have been more issues."

Naruto nodded settling down into the chair across from Gaara. "I'm going to send for ninja to take over the training."

Gaara nodded. "I'm also going to send for Sakura," Naruto told him. "If this issue is as big as it is I want her on the case."

"My medics would love learning from her," Gaara told him, "Now if you would answer a personal question for me, who's going to teach Hoshiryu?"

"I haven't given it much thought, is there someone you want to see train him?" Naruto asked.

"I don't know," Gaara said, "its just-have you ever heard of the Sunaise seers?" Naruto shook his head, "They were all killed after a political issue. Well all but one family, and the last daughter from that family married my father. Hoshiryu is a seer and a couple of weeks ago he saw his death at the end of the chunin exams."

"His death? Well…then he will only have the best teacher.," Naruto said.

"Who? Kakashi? Jiaiya? Those perves?"

"No. I'm going to tech him," Naruto told Gaara.

"You?" Gaara asked. "Are you sure you're up for it?" he asked. Naruto looked sick Gaara noticed, he had circles under his eyes, his hair had seemed to have grayed somewhat, and was limp. It didn't help that Naruto was pale.

"I got to don't I? I'm the strongest ninja, so I'm going to teach him," Naruto said with an authority showing that he wouldn't change his mind, "Believe it."

Meanwhile…

"Again, harder I don't want you holding back. This is not supposed to just be training for me," Haru stated as he stared at Aki.

Aki furrowed her brow. She had one trick up her sleeve but she really wanted to save it, she didn't want to mangle her teammate before the exam, even if she didn't like him. Aki pulled her strings back and quickly started to make hand signs. The strings then darted out on either side of her, lightning running along in them, they created a wall that started to encircle Haru.

Haru didn't move as he saw the wall moving, a smirk on his face, this was a good move for when they were working as a team, not when they were opponents, she had to have something planned.

As soon as the wall was completed Aki reached into her bag and pulled out a kunai with string attached to the metal. "Ninja art: Lightning Call Kunai," she whispered as she threw it before going through hand signs.

Haru stared as he saw the kunai coming towards him. He reached and caught it, only to be shocked and forced to drop it. Aki sneered and drew the kunai back to her. Haru's eyes followed the Kunai, "Atta girl," he said under his breath as he repositioned himself, "no way your going to lose again. We'll be Chunin together."

Aki narrowed her eyes. He wasn't fighting back, so she'd have to make him. She dashed forward, and threw the kunai close to the ground, using her chakra and the string to control its movements like a snake. Haru glanced down and jumped up to avoid the kunai, and its chakra induced string, only to find several shurikun headed towards him.

He dived, only to have to block a punch and a kick from Aki, throwing him on his back. Haru hit the sand and he grabbed Aki's arm drawing her in for a kick to her side. She exploded in a flurry of sand.

Aki then appeared to his right tossing stings set up like lassos around him. "Ninja Art: Ice Ring Capture!" She pulled back while letting the jutsu loose causing the strings to develop ice and catch Haru as he fell to the ground.

Haru tightened his body and started to attempt to roll away. Aki didn't give him a chance she let the strings trail her fingers and jumped up, and landed a kick on Haru, only to have him burst into sand.

"So close Aki," he said from behind, before he grabbed her arms and used his knee to help pin her to the ground, "but I win, you're getting better. Now how about ending that wall jutsu?"

Aki drew the strings back toward her, while stopping her flow of chakra. Haru let go of her and she put the strings back into a pouch. Haru then grabbed her arm and pulled her up. "Much better Aki, soon no ninja will be able to stand between us."

'_No ninja?' _she thought, _'Even if that ninja is me?'_ She turned toward Haru to see the smirk on his face. He never smiled, just smirked. _'I can't tell him, I can't. So I'll just have to wait. 'Till I'm stronger, strong enough to win, strong enough to say no.'_

"We need to be getting back, you need to rest for training tomorrow," Haru told her before he set off for Suna. Aki, sighed under her breath and followed him.

Meanwhile…

"Uchiha-san! Urgent news from the Hokage!" yelled a random ninja running into the Hokage office in Konoha.

Sasuke looked up and took the scroll and examined it. "Get me Uchiha Sakura and Hyugga Tenten."

"Hai."

A few moments later…

"Naruto has asked that you both report to Suna immediately. He will brief you on the details when you arrive," Both women nodded. "Tenten, go gather all of your weapons. You are dismissed."

Tenten nodded before disappearing in a poof of smoke. "Do you want me to try to?" Sakura asked looking at Sasuke.

"If you get a chance," Sasuke said nodding, "I don't know if he's doing any better but…"

Sakura nodded, "Don't do something stupid while I'm gone," she told him before disappearing in a poof of smoke.

Sasuke blinked and then annocned, "You can come in now…Kakashi."

Kakashi stepped in, his nose in a very dirty book, "When I asked for you to be here it was for something important," Sasuke told him.

Kakashi snapped the book shut, "Yes, you did. Its about Naruto isn't it?"

Sasuke nodded, "He's sick…"

Kakashi stared at Sasuke through one eye, "When was the last time that Naruto ever got sick when it wasn't food poisoning?"

"Not any time that I can recall," Sasuke told him, "but he just dosen't look good."

Kakashi nodded, "So what do you need me for? I'm no medical ninja?"

"I need you to pull a favor with Tsunade," Sasuke told him.

"Ahhh…So you want me to leave, go to Tsunade's retirement house a couple of villages away, and get her to come out of retirement to make Naruto sit for an examination?" Kakashi asked.

"Yes that's what I want you to do."

"Consider it done."

**Here it is, sorry for the wait major writers block then my computer got infected with viruses! Flames are accepted for lateness.**


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